Chuck vs The Trek 520
by Grayroc
Summary: A/U - Chuck goes on the Run after he finds out Casey almost terminated him, we are at the start of Season 2. Chuck remembers what Sarah said "..you can't run from us... we will find you." General Beckman has all the power and Chuck has none. Well he is the Intersect. Both Chuck and Beckman are headed for a confrontation.
1. Chapter 1

A/N – This will be an A/U - It starts just after Major Casey leaves through the Morgan door at the start of Season 2. I also have the Beta Intersect going live in June 2008 not in September 2008. There will be some back and forth- flashbacks etc - through the time period September 2008 to October 2009. I will try to make the flashbacks easy to spot.

Someone once said that all actors one day want to play Hamlet. Perhaps it is also true that all Chuck fanfiction writers one day want to write a "Chuck goes on the run" story. My other ambition is for Chuck to confront General Diane Beckman. One of them has all the power and an army of Agents while the other is alone and has no real power. But is Chuck really powerless? I'm hoping this story will be four or five chapters. We shall see. The quote below is accurate except I have removed "military-industrial complex" and replaced it with intelligence agencies. The latter works better with the story. Either way, "Ike" was rather prescient it would seem.

Oh yes, I don't own Chuck. I don't own a Trek 520. I do own three other bikes, one is a classic touring bike.

 _Chapter 1_

 _"_ _..In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the intelligence agencies. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes._

 _-President Dwight D. Eisenhower, January 17, 1961 (General of the Army)_

June 2008 – Evening Echo Park, Burbank

Major John Casey slipped out through the Morgan door. He was ecstatic that he had failed to complete his mission. This was a first for Casey. Hell, he didn't want to kill the moron and when Walker knocked on the door and blurted out that the Beta Intersect had been blown up he got out of there as quickly and quietly as possible. He knew Beckman would rescind the order any minute now. Time for a stiff drink.

September 15, 2008

The following message went out to all NSA & CIA stations and field operatives:

1299990RC –TNY September 15, 2008 12:08pm Zulu

Subject: Asset –Charles Irving Bartowski

Order: Locate/ Terminate, by Order Brigadier General D. Beckman, Director NSA

Bartowski is former asset/ analyst/ hacker who escaped custody and is deemed a threat to National Security.

September 16, 2008 22:00 PST

APB/9889834FVV

To all Law Enforcement; All FBI offices, West Coast/ Central Area- Continental US

Subject: Charles Irving Bartowsk

Action: Locate and Detain. To be turned over to NSA Agents only.

Bartowski is considered a serious threat to National Security. Description & Photo's attached.

November 9, 2008 Motel 6, Room 208- Salem Oregon

Agent Sarah Walker stood beside Agent Sam Baldwick, NSA. Both were in their black tactical gear ready to storm the room. She turned to the junior Agent and said in a no nonsense tone. "Are we clear Agent Baldwick, you will under no circumstances fire your gun. Bartowski is mine to deal with. Before I kill him I need to extract information from him." Sam Baldwick was both thrilled and a little intimidated to be working with the legendary Agent Walker. But he was well trained to follow orders, so he blurted out.

"Yes ma'am. But I thought our orders from General Beckman were to terminate him?"

"Agent Baldwick, I'm the senior Agent. If you have an issue with my authority go back to the car and call Beckman." She glared at him waiting for him to back down. It took three seconds but Baldwick dropped his eyes and said. "Understood Agent Walker under no circumstances ….do not harm Bartowski."

Sarah didn't trust him. "Agent Baldwick, safe your weapon, right now…that's an order. Now get ready."

The door flew back on its hinges as they stormed into an empty room. They quickly checked the washroom ….nada. Agent Walker was disappointed and also a little relieved. The triangulation data from the satellite was still picking up a ping from the cellphone. The call came from this room and the cellphone was still here.

Sarah said "Search the room. Find me the damn cell phone."

Five minutes later they found the cell phone and battery pack behind the air ventilation grill. It was a burner phone. She grabbed it, searched through the phone and found the WAV file that had been sent to her cell phone six hours earlier. She pressed play and held the phone to her ears.

"Sarah, I just wanted to say Hi and let you know that Fulcrum hasn't captured me. I hope you're okay and didn't get into any trouble because of me running away. I really couldn't stay. Graham wanted me dead and so did Beckman. I want to live but just so you know I'll kill myself before I let them put me in a bunker. Sorry don't want to sound morbid. Well….I'd better go. Bye."

Sarah Walker clicked the phone off. She would send it off the Lab rats to see what they might find. It was obvious he wasn't here. The actual date he recorded the message was September 9, 2015. He'd actually recorded it two days before he went on the run and then sometime after dropped the cell phone here at this motel. The problem was there was no record of him staying in this room. Also this Motel didn't have a working CCTV surveillance system. They would now have to check all camera feeds in this area going back two months.

Agent Baldwick was headed back to the car to report. When Sarah was sure she was alone she allowed herself a smile and said in a soft voice. "Clever, clever boy Chuck, I just knew finding you wasn't going to be easy."

March 15, 2009 Ft. Mead Office of the Director NSA

The following order was sent out from the NSA Director's office to all NSA/ CIA / FBI offices

14853310RC –TNY March 15, 2009 11:58:pm Zulu

Subject: Asset –Charles Irving Bartowski

Order: Locate/ Report & Protect- by Order Brigadier General D. Beckman, Director NSA

Bartowski is considered an important asset/analyst who is deemed essential to our National Security. Report his location to Agent Sarah Walker. Do not interfere with Mr. Bartowski in any way. Observe his movements, protect and wait for further orders from Agent Walker.

October 2009- Roy & Bandt Mitchell's Farm - 10 miles south of Worthington, Minnesota

Chuck was sitting above a stream which ran through the Mitchell's property. The harvest moon would start to rise soon, but for the moment it was pitch black except for the constellations just starting to flicker above him. He had built a wooden bench for himself two months ago. He could now sit in comfort on a rise of ground behind the old weathered barn and look out over Willoughby Stream.

Roy had taught him how to make the bench, he had been very patient with Chuck and talked him through the whole process. He showed him how to use each wood working tool. Roy could fix almost anything and before his arthritis slowed him down he had made beautiful furniture for many folk throughout the county.

He had showed Chuck how to select the right wood, trim it and how to use the chisels and saws. Chuck had made his fair share of mistakes but Roy waved his hand at him and laughed it all away saying that the imperfections were what made this bench his creation and his alone. Roy had looked at him and said "how many people do you know Charles who can build a bench from scratch…you're now one of them."

The stars were starting to fill the night sky. After being here at the farm for nearly six months he could name the constellations. Bandt, Roy's sister was quite the teacher and had taught him to move clockwise through the constellations, how to spot Taurus and Orion, how to pick out the bright stars like Altair, Vega and Sirius, the Dog Star. Chuck shook his head, in his wildest imaginings he never once thought he would be living on a 100 acre farm owned by aging siblings deep in the heart of Minnesota. Roy and Bandt didn't have any WiFi, they had no internet and no TV. All they had was a radio.

Chuck was pleased and grateful that Casey and Sarah still hadn't found him. He had been on the run for more than a year now. But what choice did he really have? He had to run to save his life. Each and every day he regretted leaving Ellie, Devon and Morgan behind somewhat exposed to the NSA & CIA. Maybe his confrontation with Beckman back on March 15th, almost seven months ago had worked. Maybe Ellie & Devon were now safe. Time would tell.

He and Orion had taken a huge gamble, even now he didn't know if it had worked. Since the confrontation with General Beckman he hadn't been near a computer nor used a cell phone. Chuck and Orion had agreed they would both go "dark" for a year. The only news he got was from the radio and the local newspaper the Worthington Daily Globe. Latest news:- Worthington beat Luverne by a field goal. Hog prices were up and the price for a bushel of wheat was down 1%, vital information.

He closed his eyes and leaned back. In his mind he could still picture Sarah Walker, not a day passed without him thinking of her and he still had her picture by his bed.

He remembered that night a year ago when Sarah came over to the apartment at Echo Park. He saw her sad expression as she told him that the cypher key had been a Trojan virus planted by Fulcrum….. and that same virus had triggered an explosion in the Beta Intersect room.

Langston Graham was dead. Chuck for some reason felt this wave of relief that Graham was dead. But his heart still sank to hear the news, mainly because it meant he was still the Intersect. He was still a pawn on General Beckman's chess board. He remembered that Sarah then left him to check in with Beckman or the CIA, or Homeland Security….whatever.

When she left he was still numb from hearing the news and went back into his bedroom. He remembered sitting in front of his computer feeling down and very sorry for himself. Without much effort or conscious thought he had hacked into Casey's surveillance system of the apartment and his bedroom.

It was child's play for him to set up a loop feed on his bedroom surveillance camera for the next hour. He looked at the last hour of surveillance footage on his bedroom and what he saw sent a deathly chill through his whole body. He felt sick to his stomach and barely made it to the toilet before he puked.

The next week was really a fog. Sarah and Casey must have noticed how withdrawn and out of sorts he was. And if they didn't notice then the room full of analysts back at Ft. Mead certainly had. Beckman sent Sarah to talk with him and …"see what was wrong with the Intersect. Agent Walker we need him to focus and keep his head in the game."

As Sarah sat on the edge of his bed she looked at him and patiently waited for him to tell her why he was acting so weird. He told her a big truth and a big lie. He knew they weren't alone. Casey along with the NSA were watching their so called "intimate" chat. The big truth he told Sarah was how bitterly disappointed he was that he was still the Intersect. When he told her that he could tell from her eyes she believed what he was saying. Why shouldn't she, it was the truth. The next words out of his mouth were the lie but it was still couched in the truth.

"Sarah, I'm weary and fed up that we have to go back to all the lies and pretending. My sister doesn't deserve the daily lies about me and about us. I love her too much to put her or Devon at risk by ever telling them what's going on but it's slowly eating at my insides." The lie was that he was not going to tell someone. He couldn't carry this burden by himself any longer. But that meant whoever he told was also at risk. At risk of being killed or dragged to a bunker. Nonetheless he had decided to tell someone.

Sarah as she sat beside him on the bed had said and done all the usual comforting things, the consummate handler of an asset. Or was there more? Chuck dearly hoped that it was more than just her handling him. He saw her reaction when Agent Longshore was going to take him to a bunker. Sarah Walker had told him the truth when they first met. She had a lot of baggage.

As they sat there both of them were painfully aware of the hidden cameras and microphones. After another half hour of talking about "safe topics" she had finally left him alone.

That's the precise moment when he started to put his plan together to run away. It took him two months to put all the pieces of his plan together and he never worked harder at anything in his entire life. Mainly because his life now depended on not making a mistake.

Because he was under such close surveillance and going on missions, he needed arms and legs to make his plan happen. Someone that could be trusted and wasn't under constant surveillance.

In the end he had told Devon. Looking back he was so proud of his sister's fiancé. Devon had been, well, he had been truly awesome. He remembered meeting Devon over at the hospital, they had gone into an empty operating room and Chuck told him everything that had happened in the past year. Then Chuck made Devon promise to tell Ellie everything once he had run away and they were safe from the clutches of General Diane Beckman. He begged Devon to tell his sister that he loved her and say that all the lies he had told her that past year were solely to protect her from the NSA & CIA, terrorists, and the never ending parade of drug lords.

Finally he told Devon never to trust Sarah and Casey or anyone else from the alphabet soup of federal agencies, no matter what they said or what they promised. Devon was the perfect guy to help him, he was highly intelligent and motivated to help him and…. here was the bonus…. both of Devon's parents, the Woodcombs, were closely connected to state and US senators.

If the NSA & CIA leaned on or threatened Devon or Ellie, they would get their wrists slapped hard. They wouldn't be able to steam roll over Devon or his parents. He worried about Morgan but was counting on the fact that Morgan was completely in the dark. Chuck met with Devon in one of the radiation bunkers in the hospital used for treating cancer patients. The machines were seldom used after 9pm.

Devon and Ellie both worked odd shifts at the hospital so Chuck could go there fairly often, even late at night, without raising any suspicious questions from Sarah or Casey. Both the handlers knew that Chuck and Ellie were very close given all that had happened in their lives.

Chuck would leave his tracker watch with the GPS in the doctors on-call room then head for the radiation bunker. No one could listen into their planning sessions in the radiation bunker with tons of concrete surrounding them. Devon did all that Chuck had asked him to do and far, far more. He even helped him with refining the escape plan and funded his escape.

Chuck remembered Devon telling him "Bro, you're good for the money. Ellie and I will be fine, don't worry about us, once I talk with my folks they will both make some phone calls and the NSA & CIA will totally back off from bothering us." Chuck and Devon agreed that Devon would tell his parents that the NSA/CIA wanted to get their hands on Chuck for his computer hacking skills.

Chuck's eyes flashed open and his memories flew away, he was back in the present. It was October and he was far away from Burbank. He was back in Minnesota.

Chuck knew the property that Bandt and Roy owned like the back of his hand. He had walked all over the 100 acres and he knew all the trails and roads for twenty miles in any direction because he had cycled them all. He knew all of the sounds of the farm during the day and during the night. He was no longer a city kid. He could tell you the names of each type of bird, what their call was and what they looked like. He knew where the barn owl's nest was and he sometimes could hear it leave the nest at dusk.

Once the barn owl launched itself after its prey, after that initial flap of its wings to get it airborne, it just glided towards the unwitting prey. It was one of nature's most silent and efficient killers. The vole or the mouse at the very last moment might hear the soft rush of wind over the owl's wings but most would never know the moment they died in the owls talons.

Chuck knew the regular sounds around the farm, around the woods and around the stream and that's how he heard her approach. She had managed to get within 25 feet before he heard the twig snap. It wasn't her fault. She wouldn't know about or see the low dead pine branch at the edge of the stream. He waited looking at the dark shadows surrounding the copse of trees, he sensed her presence.

Just then the harvest moon crested over the tree line. A ribbon of golden light moved across the stream towards the rise he was sitting on and all around him the ground was suddenly bathed in moonlight. She took a step out of the shadows into the moonlight. She was dressed all in black and he could see her left hand reach up to the top of her head. She pulled off the black watch cap and gave her head a shake, the moonlight caught her blonde hair as it fell down around her shoulders. Chuck drank in the sight of her, God she was magnificent. His heart ached to see her again but he also felt fear.

As she got closer he could see the gun with the silencer hanging down by her right side. He held his breath. She stopped and said a tentative "Chuck?"…. Chuck for a couple of seconds couldn't get his tongue to work but finally the words came out "Hi Sarah….. It's been a long time."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N- Many thanks for the reviews and interest in the story. I have borrowed a character from another one of my stories (Tarawa)..Rigel is a long time hacker friend of Chuck's. A key point is that Rigel knows Chuck has two handlers "protecting" him and that he is the Intersect. Also, I will be jumping around between the period June 2008 to July 2008 in this Chapter. Laying the groundwork for Chuck going on the run. For the skeptics about running away on a bicycle, you can cover a lot of ground quickly and often you are virtually invisible on a bike._

Chapter 2

June 8 2008 Echo Park Area

Chuck was running beside Devon. They were approaching the halfway point in their early morning three mile run. Chuck thought he was going to die. It was day five of Devon's plan to get Chuck into shape in preparation for him going off the grid.

Chuck turned to Devon and gasped "…I think…..I think ..J just …coughed up a part of my lung…we need to stop…please Devon….."

Devon laughed "…Bro it's just your body adjusting. Next week you're going to be at my door wanting to do this run just to get the endorphin high."

Five minutes later they stopped both of them greedily drank from their water bottles.

Chuck was bent over and gasping for air. He said "..Devon tell me...tell me... again why using a bicycle to run from the NSA & CIA makes any kind of sense. I won't be able to get anywhere quickly."

Devon in a patient tone ticked off the reasons "Chuck… cars, trains, boats and planes are how they are going to hunt you down. You told me that they will access all CCTV cameras, satellite data, drones circling above and they will have Agents and local police looking for you at all transportation hubs.

Devon continued "So Chuck tell me what percentage of men in America are over 6'3"? Answer only 2%! So that means they can ignore 98% of all the men on all those cars, trains, boats and planes. Even if you're cleverly disguised you'll stand out. The other thing we're both worried about is the facial recognition software they will be running. The trick is how to be visible and yet invisible. When you're on the bike it's hard to tell exact height. Next you'll have a helmet on, cycling glasses and a beard that will mess up the software…at least that's what we're hoping.

Chuck nodded his head. "I'm still researching how to alter the facial software algorithm the NSA/CIA uses. The Intersect indicates the NSA/CIA will follow up on every hit from the facial recognition software that shows a 91% probability of a match or better.

Devon took another sip of his water, he indicated it was time to start running again. "Chuck don't worry about getting from one place to the other. Two years ago two of my fraternity brothers and I cycled with all our camping equipment from Pittsburgh to Washington along the Great Allegheny Passage, we did 310 miles in four and a half days.

June 28, 2008 Castle

Casey came downstairs and placed a coffee in front of Walker. Sarah gave him a nod of thanks, she was finishing off the report on their latest mission. Casey didn't show it outwardly but he was happy working with Walker, she was the best partner he had worked with... bar none and without question.

"So Walker what's the moron up to, is he with Frat boy…. running again?"

Sarah looked up and shook her head "..Casey, I thought you would be happy that he is into exercising. He has more energy and stamina. Last night he stayed awake the whole time, instead of falling asleep in the car like he usually does. Besides… how come you aren't inviting him to run with you?"

Casey grunted "…He's not good enough."

Sarah said "….Really. So tell me Major what was your time for the five mile run last time you qualified?"

Casey smirked at her "…38 minutes and that's after doing this shit for 20 years."

Sarah shot back "well Devon and Chuck did five miles in 36 minutes yesterday, I timed them when I was shadowing them. Seems to me he's good enough to run with you."

July 1, 2008 Westside Medical Center

Devon's patient Charles Conner was a 31 year old male about 6'2" who wouldn't last the day. He was a homeless drifter who was suffering from congestive heart failure. The attending Surgeon had told Devon to make Mr. Conner comfortable and give him all the pain meds he could tolerate. Charles Conner had too many bad breaks…. one …after….. the..…other. He had come from an alcoholic home. Lost his parents in his teens, had no siblings, no cousins, aunts or uncles, and had become an alcoholic himself. He was alone and now he was dying. Life had dealt one shitty hand after the other to Charles Conner.

Devon had found most of this out when he did the medical/family history work up on him. He kept talking to Charles Conner and stayed with him, it wouldn't be long now.

Devon and the nurse stood beside the bed, finally he said "Time of death is 3:47pm. Sandra please go make arrangements downstairs to move him and get the paperwork ready for me." A pauper's grave awaited Charles Conner.

Devon looked over at the small bag with Charles Conner's possessions. There was a worn leather wallet with only one real piece of identification. A California driver's license with one year left before it expired issued to Charles F. Conner with an address that was four years out of date. Devon looked down at Charles Conner's lifeless body and said "Charles I'm sorry about this…... but I think you might be able to help my Bro Chuck." without any hesitation he pocketed the license.

Sandra the nurse came back with the paperwork and quickly left again. Devon very carefully went to every spot in the chart and added an s to the name Conner. He then went back to central admitting and asked the supervisor to correct the registration database and lab database to make sure Patient ID 78122RUMC showed the proper surname of…. Charles Conners.

July 7, 2008 In the Cage at BuyMore

Chuck had volunteered to work in the cage. It gave him more time to think and work on his escape plan, his big problem was how to forge a new identity. Devon had given him the driver's licence for Charles F. Conner…sadly no one knew or cared that he was dead. This was the starting place for setting up a new identity. The Intersect was of course chock full of forger's names, which would do him not one ounce of good. If Chuck knew the names then the NSA/ CIA knew the names, because it was from their database. All the NSA/CIA had to do was canvas the forgers known to them and they would give Chuck up in a heartbeat. Shit. Shit. Shit.

An old computer had been given to him by Morgan. Morgan told him the courier left the computer with a note that asked Morgan Grimes to fix it. Morgan immediately took it to Chuck because he was the only one in the Nerd Herd who would even attempt to fix such an old out of date model.

Chuck plugged the old relic in and powered it up, a message popped up and said …PUT THUMB PRINT HERE.

Chuck laughed out loud and said "...sure why not" and pressed his thumb on the place indicated.

A message then appeared: PIRHANA….. WHY ARE YOU STILL THERE!? YOU'RE HANDLERS ALMOST TERMINATED YOU A MONTH AGO! RUN!

Chuck wasn't laughing now, he quickly typed in **_Who are you?_**

"I'M RIGEL!"

Rigel was considered by the best hackers …to be the "King" of hackers. To the lesser lights, the average hacker…. he was just an urban myth. To Chuck he was a mentor and a friend of many years standing. They first met on line back in the fall of 1996.

Rigel had given Chuck tips and tricks and code that he had personally written. The most important thing he gave Chuck was a book of one time encryption codes that they used to communicate with each other.

In the early years of their "hacker" friendship Rigel had protected Chuck from several traps set up by the various government intelligent agencies to trap or recruit talented hackers. Rigel had always been interested in Chuck and what was happening in his life and was always asking after his sister and how she was getting on in life. If there was one person other than Ellie that Chuck trusted it was Rigel.

Rigel was simply the smartest person Chuck knew.

Chuck typed in. **_Prove it!_**

If it was really Rigel then he would know the cryptographic hash function that was to be used for this date.

The answer came flashing back

CDF8 9EOW 6AW1 C6FF 912Y

W404 X0B9 7D7P 81Q0 GB66

Chuck grabbed his iphone checked the number and confirmed …that it was indeed Rigel.

Chuck typed in: **_I'm planning to Run …working on plan…but have hit some snags._**

"HOW CAN I HELP?"

Chuck again replied: **_Working on forged identity…will take me a long time…I only have a driver's license so far. Next item…. I AM VERY WORRIED about NSA/CIA facial recognition software, once I go on the run._**

Chuck over the next five minutes typed in the full story about how Devon had acquired the drivers license and that as far as the world was concerned Charles F. Conner was still alive.

Rigel replied: SEND ME DRIVER'S LICENSE IN MAIL, TO MR. WILLIAM RIKER, P.O. BOX 1452, TORONTO M3C 1J7.

Chuck replied: **_Okay….. but… what about facial recognition software?_**

Rigel's last reply was: IT WILL TAKE LONGER. MAYBE A MONTH OR MORE. PIRAHNA ..FROM NOW ONLY USE COMPUTERS I SEND YOU!

The screen then went blank and the hard drive along with the motherboard self-destructed with the smoke drifting up towards Chuck's face.

July 24, 2008 Castle 7:30pm

Chuck was exhausted. He had opened the store this morning after completing a mission that ended at 2am that morning. He had wanted to go home but General Beckman had wanted the "Asset" to look at recent intelligence that had come in about arms shipments that seemed to have their origin in the Long Beach area.

He was just finishing the last page and had not flashed on anything. Casey was across the way at his desk and Sarah was at hers. They were both busy finishing up mission reports and the latest inventory on the armory.

Chuck took a deep breath, held his arms way up and stretched. "Guys I'm getting nothing, sorry but there are no flashes. I'm going home."

Casey without even looking up grunted "What's the matter Moron…. too tired to flash. Need your beauty sleep?" Two seconds later Casey's voice actually softened just the tinniest bit and he said "….Bartowski ..I'll drive you home in an hour….. go grab a cot and I'll wake you."

Sarah saw her chance and took it "Chuck I'll take you home. I can complete this report from my place. Casey we'll see you tomorrow." Chuck walked up the stairs with Sarah close behind him.

Chuck was lost in his thoughts. It had been about 7 weeks since the Beta Intersect had blown up. Casey treated Chuck just about the same as he did before he had received the order from Beckman to terminate him. Maybe he was a little bit nicer but Chuck couldn't be sure. Beckman as far as he could tell treated him exactly the same as far as he could tell. Wait, once she actually used his name "Chuck".

The hardest thing for Chuck was trying to act the same around Casey and Beckman. Part of him wanted to scream as loud as he could "WHY! … Why did you want to kill me? It's not fair, I did everything you asked." But another part of his mind screamed "Danger" because if he actually gave voice to that thought… Beckman would whisk him away and put him in a Bunker before the sun rose the next morning.

So he maintained the act "heh ..look… at me I'm still the same old clumsy …. Nerdy…. Chuck" and he hoped Beckman's own sense of superiority, her belief he had no options but to obey the NSA would blind her, blind them all…. to what was coming.

Then Chuck almost said out loud …"So what about you Sarah" but of course he didn't.

Yes indeed …. what about Sarah Walker…..that topic was much, much, more difficult. The last couple of missions had taken Chuck to the heights and depths of their "cover relationship". He was confused about what was going on between them. Meeting Roan Montgomery was just plain weird because here is the Instructor that taught Sarah and Casey about seduction. He couldn't forget the kiss with Sarah in front of Roan, no not in two lifetimes.

Then his mind raced back to Roan Montgomery. It was actually funny, on the one hand here was Sarah with all of her God given assets who didn't seem to need any seduction training, whereas Casey with all the seduction training in the world might…just might…seduce a…..a…Vogon woman?….well after all…. he failed the class twice.

The next mission involved having Bryce come back into his life. He had concluded that the more Bryce "helped" Chuck the more Chuck's life sucked. Conclusion….. stay as far away from Bryce as possible. The triangle relationship of Bryce, Sarah and Chuck always left him feeling foolish, inadequate and angry all at the same time. Like who the hell was Chuck kidding… really…. that he and Sarah might have something real under their cover.

When he saw Bryce & Sarah up on the dance floor he just knew that he was in the minors and they were the major league team. After all … they were Mr. and Mrs. Andersen. The perfect CIA his & her team beautiful, handsome, deadly and always successful.

In the end it didn't matter what was going on between Sarah and Bryce or Sarah and him…because he was committed to running away. He was going to cut the puppet's strings and get out of the clutches of General Diane Beckman before she had no more use for him.

Sarah started up her Porsche, took a quick look over at Chuck to see how he was and try to figure out what he was feeling and thinking. As they drove along Chuck wasn't rambling on about music or the Buymore or about their cover relationship. Something was different about Chuck since the Beta Intersect had blown up.

The good thing was she now knew that Bryce's hold on her... was over. Bryce had been her first "relationship" if you could call it that….. but in truth she had nothing to compare it against. What she now knew amidst all the swirling emotions she still felt around Chuck was simply this…She'd rather be with Chuck than Bryce. She reached out with her right hand and touched his forearm and said "Chuck are you up for some sushi, I'm starving?" Chuck quickly zoned back in and gave her a nice smile and said "..sure I'd like that."

Sarah felt a nice warm feeling inside, she just wanted to talk with him without any surveillance and try to get back in touch with the Chuck she...with the Chuck she... loved. She could say that to herself but she couldn't say it to him….it was just too dangerous for him and for her.

 _A/N - Next update June 20/21... a solstice event_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 _A/N – Many thanks for your reviews and continued interest in the story. This is ahead of schedule, nonetheless all typo's, syntax errors and grammar are my fault. Mea Culpa! Rather than hold up this chapter…I will post it, mistakes and all._

 _As usual, I don't own Chuck or a farm._

August 6 13:00hrs- Ft. Mead Office of Brigadier General Diane Beckman

There was no entry in _Who's Who_ for General Diane Beckman….. for obvious reasons. Her personal life was known to a tiny handful of individuals, none of whom worked at the NSA. General Beckman never talked about her family. The people who worked for her never asked.

But if ever there was an entry in _Who's Who_ …it might read as follows:

Brigadier General Diane Beckman, USAFA graduate 1973, finished 44th in her class of 844 graduates, selected as Cadet Group Commander. (there were four senior cadets who reported to the Cadet Wing Commander)

Qualified on fixed wing aircraft 1974, typed on AC-130 "Spooky" - 2,000 hours as command pilot. Supported a number of Black Ops for all special ops branches.

Seconded to Air Force Counter Terrorism Unit 1983-1988. Served in 15 different countries. Speaks fluent French and passable Spanish. Ten confirmed kills.

Seconded to NSA 1988 was partnered with Roan Montgomery (CIA) for two years.

Awarded Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit & Bronze Star.

Named Director NSA 2004. Read into Project Omaha & Intersect 2004

Married to Michael Fleming (banker); one daughter Sandra Belmont, married to Donald Belmont; one granddaughter Michelle Belmont

Lives in Annapolis Maryland

Current Director NSA; G9 clearance (NB-only 10 people in US have G9 clearance)

Brigadier General Diane Beckman had no appointments for the next hour. This was a rarity to be enjoyed. She sipped her coffee and swiveled her chair around to look out of her window overlooking a tiny portion of Ft. Mead's 5,065 acres and reflected on the last several months.

She was now in the interesting position of having power and authority with limited accountability. The accountability system set up by Congress to monitor the NSA/CIA was seriously broken. Fourth Amendment rights, meant to protect the ordinary citizen, were easily swept aside by declaring the matter a National Security Matter.

Langston Graham was dead and buried. Now it was the NSA, her Agency, which had the lead on the Intersect Project. Chuck Bartowski was the only functioning Intersect despite all their efforts and over a billion dollars spent to date with twenty specially selected Agents, either dead or in mental hospitals. Bartowski's brain was the only one that could handle the Intersect.

General Beckman had been searching for Orion for over four year. She had started the search as soon as she was read in on Project Omaha. Orion might be able to fix or fine tune the Intersect so her specially trained Agents could have it downloaded into their brains.

Orion would not willingly help her especially if he ever found out that the NSA/CIA had ordered his son terminated. Chuck and Orion (Stephen Bartowski) must never get together. It was that simple.

Continuing to manage Chuck Bartowski carefully was now essential …. but not preferred. On the one hand she had total control of his actions and had leverage to use against him because of his strong feelings for his sister.

But on the other hand he was too much of a "loose cannon". That concerned her. Bartowski's relationship to Agent Walker also concerned her. General Beckman wondered….why had Agent Walker not employed her considerable feminine assets to ensnare and lead Bartowski around by the nose?

Was Agent Walker compromised concerning the asset? Was Major Casey compromised?….After all he had pushed back when given the termination order…That wasn't like John.

The Asset was unorthodox and had a mind of his own. But he and his handlers got the job done…..somehow. She of course reaped the rewards and praise from the National Security Advisor and the President. There was some discrete talk …..perhaps….. a second star ..soon …with her becoming a Major-General. Diane Beckman had influence. The Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was a friend. Rice's influence had helped get her promotion from Colonel to Brigadier.

It had been sheer blind luck that Major Casey had not terminated Bartowski. General Beckman was very happy that Agent Walker had knocked on the Bartowski's front door when she did. If Walker had arrived two minutes later then the Beta Intersect would have been blown up and Bartowski, the only functioning Intersect, would be dead and she would have been held responsible and quickly sent into early retirement.

In a soft voice she said "Graham …you son of a bitch."

Diane Beckman held Langston Graham responsible for almost ending her career. He was the one who badgered, threatened and pleaded with her that once the Beta Intersect was working …then Mr. Bartowski was a huge liability. He was redundant. He was a risk to National Security. You can't have Bartowski running around with the Nation's secrets in his head.

Here and now while she was alone and quietly sitting in her office she admitted that Major Casey had been right when he pushed back against the termination order and she had been dead wrong. Damn it…. and damn Langston Graham! Washington was full of ambitious, power hungry people but Langston Graham had made most of them look like saints.

Her quiet time came to an end when her assistant buzzed her intercom. She rushed out of her office to head up to the Hill to argue for another hundred million dollars to be added to the NSA budget. Defending the nation came at a high price.

August 10 2008 Westside Medical Center

Devon and Chuck were in radiation bunker No. 2 housing the linear accelerator. It was almost 10:30pm and no one was around. There was no patient lying on the table where they received a very precise dosage of radiation. Instead Devon had laid out the contents of a package.

Rigel had sent the package to Devon, care of his Mom, Honey Woodcomb. Honey hadn't opened it but had given it directly to Devon.

Chuck and Devon stared in disbelief. In front of them was a new passport, driver's license, social security card, birth certificate, NEXUS card and SENTRI card. Also included was a ten page document that Rigel had prepared detailing Charles Conner's life and background. All made up but all of it was backed up by entries into each database including the school database where Charles Conner attended Kindergarten.

Devon smiled at Chuck and said "Bro…I'm not sure exactly who this Rigel is but this looks like the real thing. It's awesome! I mean, look Chuck …that's your picture and details on each of them. He's even added the beard you're planning to grow once you go on the run."

Chuck for the first time actually believed that he now had a ghost of a chance of escaping from his handlers and Beckman.

Devon stood beside Chuck and put his hand on his right shoulder "Chuck I think this is really going to happen. I'll take the identity documents with me and, now that you've signed the Power of Attorney over to my Mom's lawyer, Mr. Jamieson, he will set up bank accounts and credit cards in Charles F. Conner's name.

Once that is done, Mr. Jamieson has written instructions to purchase the bicycle and all the other equipment you'll need to make your escape. Bro, when you head out on the road like we planned you will have everything you need. I planned this like I was going to be riding beside you. I wish I could go with you. One more thing Chuck, this is all covered under client attorney privilege."

Chuck knew that he could never repay Devon for the risks he was taking on his behalf. It really bothered Chuck that Devon had approached his Mom and Dad and asked for a loan of $20,000 to be transferred over to his new friend named…. Charles Conner.

When Devon had asked for the money, Woody and Honey both said they had never heard of Charles Conner. Devon didn't want to outright lie to his parents so he said that Charles Conner was a recent friend of his but a very close friend of Ellie's and Chuck's. Devon promised that Ellie and he would pay back every cent. Woody and Honey finally said "yes only because they implicitly trusted their son. He was an awesome son.

The next day Honey had her lawyer Mr. Jamieson transfer $20,000 from her dead Mother's trust fund to a new escrow account in the name of Charles F. Conner.

 **Back in the Present**

October 2009- Roy & Bandt Mitchell's Farm - 10 miles south of Worthington, Minnesota

…As Agent Sarah Walker got closer Chuck could see the gun with the silencer hanging down by her right side. He held his breath. She stopped and said a tentative "Chuck?"…. Chuck for a couple of seconds couldn't get his tongue to work but finally the words came out "Hi Sarah….. It's been a long time."

After Sarah heard his voice, she could feel the tension start to ease out of her body. She slowly walked up the rise of land and stood in front of him. They looked at each other for the longest time, neither saying a word. Finally Chuck looked away from her and out over the stream and in a wistful voice said.

"I love sitting here, and I can't count the number of times in my mind I pictured you sitting here right beside me." He looked back at her and said "Are there other agents waiting out there in the dark? Has Casey got his sniper rifle zeroed in on me? I should be an easy shot for him in this moonlight."

Sarah was slightly shocked by what he said but found her voice "No Chuck…. I'm all by myself. ….. It's just me."

"Sarah I'm very fond of the old folks in that farmhouse. If I'm to..… to be… dealt with…. I would like them spared having to find my body…. lying here in the morning. I know a place close by, a cave that would be better…..for…for…" and his voice just trailed off.

Sarah's squeezed her eyes shut… felt a cramp starting in the pit of her stomach… she felt horrible. She took a breath before replying, knowing full well that Chuck had seen the gun by her right side.

She mentally swore at herself. _Walker are you mad?... have you lost your mind?... he still thinks you're looking for him as Agent Sarah Walker and you're holding a fucking gun in your right hand._ _Idiot!_

"Chuck….. I had the gun ready in case…..in case… it might not be you ….or Fulcrum was holding you against your will. I could never….I mean…I hoped you would..…" Her voice just trailed off into silence.

She then slowly unscrewed the silencer and put it into a hidden pocket on her tactical vest. In a practiced motion she partially released the magazine, slid the barrel back and ejected the shell already chambered. Her hand moved quickly and she caught the bullet in mid-air. Sarah then reinserted the magazine, clicked the safety on and slid the gun back into the pancake holster behind her.

"Sorry, Chuck…. I…I just didn't think. What I wanted to say was I would never hurt you. I assumed…. I mean…. I hoped you already knew that about me …. about us?"

Sarah stopped talking and turned her head away from Chuck and looked out over the stream. She was trying to reign in her feelings. She had been anxiously looking forward to seeing him again so much…so why was she feeling angry? How could Chuck not know how much he meant to her? How could he ever be afraid of her?

There was a definite edge in Sarah's voice when she said "Chuck, why …I mean why on earth didn't you come to me when you found out that Casey had tried to terminate you?"

Chuck sighed and said "Sarah, let me ask you a question that might help you to understand why at that particular moment…..I mean a year ago….. when Casey came this close" Chuck held his index finger and thumb a millimeter apart "… to killing me… why I was freaking out and started questioning whether I could really trust you.

Chuck then asked a question "Sarah, before you met me and came to Burbank had you ever refused an order to terminate an asset? Sarah looked at Chuck and said nothing because both of them knew the answer to that question.

Sarah looked at her hands then back up to his face and said "Chuck what about…what about when we were on the roof with Agent Longshore? I mean, you saw how upset I was. I know you saw my hand move towards my gun. I wasn't going to let the NSA/CIA put you in a bunker…. so I SURE AS HELL wouldn't let Casey and Beckman kill you!

Chuck if you had only come to me after you figured out Casey had almost killed you…we could have escaped…. together."

Chuck felt Sarah's anger building and jumped in "…Sarah I do remember the rooftop and Longshore…..and I held onto to what you were willing to do for me to keep me out of the bunker….. as proof …..as proof you wouldn't hurt me. But I was freaked out by what Casey almost did to me. I couldn't believe that Graham and Beckman had hidden the termination order ….I mean hidden it from you…..I mean you were Graham's top Agent…right?

Later when I was on the run I had a lot of time to think….to think about you and.. us..so ..well… I came back to believing that you would always protect me. But that all changed when I talked with Carina…..and she said…" Sarah cut him off and snarled.

"Carina!"

".. How the hell does Carina Miller…..wait….when did you see her?" In the blink of an eye Agent Walker was back. She quickly stood up. Her gun was back out. With a quick motion a round was racked and chambered and the safety was off. She was now scanning the fields and woods as if Carina was going to jump out of the bushes and say "Boo!"

Chuck stood up beside her "Sarah, please …relax… you're starting to make me feel really nervous. Listen please…please…. sit back down on the bench and take a breath." Sarah once again holstered her gun and slowly sat down beside Chuck. She was clearly agitated.

Chuck started into his story "…I saw Carina two months after I went on the run. Well actually…. not face to face… I mean we did see each other…but it was not ….ahhh… I mean not what you might think…..I just…"

Chuck stopped rambling took a breath and said "Carina didn't tell you about our meeting?"

Sarah in a tightly controlled tone said "No Chuck…. she didn't! So please enlighten me on how exactly ….did Carina Miller convince you…..that I wanted to kill you…..?"

He could tell Sarah was really upset so he slowly stood up and said "Sarah, we've a lot to talk about, including Carina, but before we really get into it … let's go and grab some warm blankets and some mugs of hot tea or coffee back in the farmhouse. It's going to be a clear night and the temperature is starting to drop".

"Are you hungry?" Sarah was still pissed at Chuck and now she was pissed at Carina but truth to tell she hadn't eaten anything in the last 18 hours…. so nodded a Yes.

Chuck gave Sarah a big smile " Bandt always has fresh baking in the pantry. Let's head over."

Sarah walked beside Chuck and stole quick glances towards him. The year had changed him just as she knew how deeply it had changed her. Sarah wanted to tell Chuck a thousand things…all at the same time. She had been storing up things to say to him since he had run away but …she needed…. to be patient.

What she needed the most was for Chuck to start trusting her again…. like he used to.

She could tell he was glad to see her…..but he was more reserved… he was harder to read….. or …was it her? Had she lost the knack of knowing what he was thinking?

When she entered the farmhouse it was like stepping back into a time tunnel to a hundred years ago. The place was pin neat with handcrafted furniture and lace doilies everywhere she cast her eye. In the parlor there was a grandfather clock ticking out its metered rhythm.

Bandt and Roy had inherited the farm and the furniture from their parents many years ago. They'd never lived anywhere else except this farmhouse. The Mitchell family had been on this land from before the Civil War. The family Bible in the corner showed two relatives who had fought and one who had died at Gettysburg.

The one light which was on downstairs was located in the kitchen. The dim light reflected off inch thick hardwood maple flooring which was perfectly laid throughout the house. The floors had been waxed and Sarah imagined that in the sunlight they would glisten.

In one corner of the parlor was a large exquisitely hand crafted gun cabinet. Sarah wasn't sure but it might be made of walnut. Sarah's keen eye for weapons landed on the Model 1861 rifle-musket, then the Winchester Model 1873, a Springfield Model 1903, and a M1 Garand rifle.

Chuck had come up close beside her and whispered in her ear.. not wanting to wake up Roy or Bandt…. who were asleep.

Chuck's warm breath and soft voice flowed into her ear "Roy made the gun cabinet. These guns all work. I know because Roy has taught me to clean them after he fires them. They were used by the men in the family when they went off to fight in the Civil War, frontier wars and "foreign wars" ….Come on, let's head outside."

Sarah took a last look around her. The décor, well this whole farmhouse should be in the Smithsonian. The kitchen even had an old majestic wood burning stove. Beside the old stove was a small but slightly more modern electric stove…it looked like it had been bought in the fifties.

Chuck made tea for them, poured it into a thermos and grabbed the biscuit tin and some thick wool blankets. Then they headed back outside into the moonlight to Chuck's bench behind the barn.

This time Sarah sat a little closer to him.

Sarah sipped her tea and greedily ate Bandt's homemade baking and wrapped the wool blanket around her shoulders. The temperature was starting to drop. Chuck didn't seem nervous having her sit beside him. It seemed like old times when she had felt so close to him back in Burbank.

Chuck put the extra blanket over both their legs and said

"So….. my meeting with Carina. Where do I start? I was cycling through Las Cruces, New Mexico

 _A/N - Next: the story of Chuck meeting Carina and how Chuck actually escaped. Roy and Bandt and the farmhouse are real. Sadly, all long since gone. The farm was just not in Minnesota…..Oh!... and the gun cabinet wasn't there._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 _A/N – There will be some jumping back and forth in the time line Nov 2008 to Oct 2009. Many thanks for the reviews and the folk who are following the story. Telling the Carina "Incident" took longer than I planned so next chapter….back to how Chuck escaped…and what happened to Casey._

October 2009- Roy & Bandt Mitchell's Farm - 10 miles south of Worthington, Minnesota

Chuck looked over at Sarah "So my meeting with Carina… Where do I start? I was cycling through Las Cruces, New Mexico. I wasn't planning on staying in Las Cruces…just passing through on my way to Odessa, Texas. All of a sudden I heard a muted rumbling sound. It was a muscle car coming down the main street, a bright red Dodge Charger SRT8. You couldn't help but notice the car, the color and the vented hood. But then the driver got out of the car and everybody totally forgot about the car.

At first I just saw her back but you couldn't miss the red hair going down to her shoulders. She was wearing a brown leather jacket, blue jeans and brown calf length cowboy boots. When the woman turned around it's not only the men but the women who noticed her. She slowly turned her head around to scan up and down the street. It was just lucky that I was straddling my bike in an alley hidden in shadows trying to stay out of the hot sun. It was then that I saw her face…. I think I said out loud …."Shit …Carina!"

Carina didn't see me but she spotted the Internet Café and quickly went in to check the place out. I did this kind of double take not really believing it was her….but it really was her. You could tell she was in full blown Agent mode and that's when I took the biggest risk….in hindsight it was just plain stupid. Don't ask me why I did it….maybe it was because I was lonely…..maybe….. I was feeling that it was inevitable that I would be caught…. it might as well be someone I knew who…..I don't know why.

I cycled up to Carina's parked car while she was inside the Café…..then I planted a tracking device." Chuck gave Sarah an impish grin "I…..might have…. borrowed some of your electronic spy supplies….. before I went on the run…..."

Sarah was sipping her tea and warming her hands around the mug but she gave him a smile "I know Chuck that you **stole** a lot of our spy stuff. Casey and I had to do a detailed inventory and report back to Beckman. It took us two days. By the way Chuck you **stole** some state of the art bugs and micro cameras that haven't been released to anyone else yet."

Chuck started to laugh and tapped his head a couple of times "My God, Sarah, who cares about state of the art bugs and cameras when I ran off with all the secrets of the nation in my head."

She gave him a half smile, looked at him and with her eyes said..….Get on with the story Chuck!

"The iPhone application that I wrote was linked into Google maps. It told me where she was staying. It was a motel on the edge of town. So I cycled out there and waited for darkness then quietly moved into the bushes across from her room. Carina left the room twenty minutes later. When she came back in her left hand she was holding takeout food and unlocking the door with her right hand." Chuck saw Sarah's eyes widen with concern.

"Sarah, I knew that was my moment… quite possibly my only chance. I was nervous… my hand was shaking as I was trying to aim the tranquillizer gun….I fired twice quickly. The first dart missed and hit the door an inch above her left shoulder. The second dart…well …it was low down… Sarah….my aim wasn't that good…did I say I was nervous…well … I hit her in the ass. I was actually aiming for the middle of her back. The Intersect told me that the drugs in the dart would act almost instantaneously but I guess trained agents don't shoot their marks in the ass?"

Chuck took a breath Sarah could see him just retelling the story brought back some of his fear "Sarah that's when things got very scary."

"For me….. everything…..I mean …. Firing the tranq gun …..it all replays in my head…. like it is in slow motion…..I mean…. all this happened in like 2 or 3 seconds…but it seemed a lot longer. Carina dropped the takeout food and the key to her room. As she turned she reached inside her leather jacket and like magic this silvery pistol with a long barrel was in her right hand.

The next bit is spooky because it was really dark outside. I was in the bushes which were in shadow but I saw her take two steps, raise the gun and aim it right at where I'm standing…..like how did she know where I was?

If I moved left or right she would hear the rustling in the bushes and she would nail me…..so I dropped to my knees and lowered my head. A half second after I started dropping down she fired twice and all I heard was a loud …ppppht…..ppppht …..sound.

The bullets went whizzing over my head. Carina took another half step towards the bushes and then dropped to the ground ….she was out like a light."

Sarah stopped him speaking by putting her hand on his forearm. " Wait ….you…. Chuck Bartowski…. without any other help …..you … you got the drop on Carina and…. put her down. I'm impressed Chuck! By the way you were in grave danger messing around with Carina. If you had missed with that second dart… and hadn't dropped down in the bushes…then …she would have …."

Chuck interrupted "I know Sarah…I know she would have…let's just put it down to beginner's luck. Carina was out cold…..dead to the world…. so I picked her up in a fireman's lift and carried her back into the room.

I made sure she was breathing okay. I was worried about Carina because I had to estimate the drug dosage in the dart. I was scared that I might have overdosed her. I carefully put a blanket over her so she wouldn't get a chill.

It took me an hour to set up her laptop to load my programs and override her DEA security. As I was leaving I left her a note, some aspirin and a bottle of water. The note said: "Carina, please turn on your laptop… Love Chuck."

Sarah couldn't help herself, she laughed and said "Nice touch….with the Love Chuck bit…I'm sure Carina would've appreciated the sentiment."

Chuck stopped talking grabbed a biscuit and sipped his mug of tea. Finally Sarah said in an impatient tone. "Chuck you're killing me here …what happened next…."

I took off to the local BuyMore Store… on the edge of town and set up my laptop. Before I went on the run…. I downloaded onto my iPhone all the security codes for the BuyMore stores west of the Mississippi River. It was easy to gain access after they closed … and wait….

"Four hours later, I finally got a ping on my computer and… there she was…Carina Miller's face with those piercing blue eyes appearing on my laptop screen… Sarah I got to tell ….she didn't look very happy…"

In the Past:

Las Cruces New Mexico - Chuck & Carina November 2008

Carina's voice lashed out at Chuck's face on her laptop screen. "So Chuck Bartowski…. You tranquilized me, then screwed me…. while I was knocked out… then you ran off…...leaving me here to die of an drug overdose. I thought you were…..…at least Sarah led me to believe that you were a decent man… Obviously you had us all fooled back in Burbank…..So now I see the real Chuck Bartowski!"

Chuck stammered ..."Carina, I didn't touch you at all…..I mean I did touch you…but just to put you on the bed, honest…..I mean… I would never do …...do what you said I did..…I mean you're Sarah's best friend…I don't force myself on wom….."

Carina knew she needed to bottle up her anger about being taken down by an amateur like Chuck. She was back in agent mode. She stopped Chuck in mid ramble "Relax …Chuck, I know you didn't screw me."

" But listen….. Chuck… stop hiding from me and come back to the motel. I have an important message from Sarah, please Chuck. Listen I can pick you up in my car, if that's easier for you.

We need to talk face to face and … afterwards …we can have some fun…and you can relax. I bet it has been really stressful for you being on the run and away from Sarah. It must've been a long time since you've been with a real woman…so…" Carina was using her beguiling voice and even though she was sleep tousled….well….. she looked gorgeous.

Chuck blinked a couple of times. He was amazed at how quickly Carina had swung from being really pissed at him to being sexy and charming "No thanks, Carina, because I think my visiting you might end very badly…. mainly for me."

"Listen, Carina, the reason I tranquilized you and took this crazy risk is because..…. I need to talk with you."

Carina's head was not nearly as fuzzy as when she had first woken up. The effect of the drug was quickly wearing off. She took a couple of aspirin and a big drink of water. She now focused all her attention on the camera lens on her lap top and modulated her voice perfectly … "Sure, Chuck, we can talk…. but not like this… please…. come on over here. I hate talking to you like this. Please, Chuckie, I'm feeling really unsteady here… because of the drugs. I think you might've given me an overdose… you need to come back here and make sure I'm not having a reaction. I shouldn't really be left alone." Carina then showed him a very sad face.

Chuck thought to himself…..My God …..she really is a brilliant actress and a very dangerous woman.

"Carina, I think this was a bad idea on my part. You are too much the spy…. it's just too engrained within you. One question before I go, once I come over there…. would you kill me before or after we slept together?" Chuck used a very sarcastic tone… he was immediately sorry that he had said that… and shook his head as if to clear his mind.

" Listen…Carina…. I'm really sorry for my last remark…..what I just said…Listen…...I'm sorry I bothered you. I'll leave you in peace. I hope the headache isn't too bad…. I really hope….. you aren't the one to find and kill me."

Chuck was moving his finger to disconnect the computer link and go back on the run. But then Carina said. "Chuck …wait ….don't go, seriously …what is it you want to talk to me about?…. I promise I'll listen."

Chuck withdrew his finger from the off switch…. looked back at the screen and finally spoke "Carina, even though you intimidate the hell out of me. You know you really are….well you are like this exotic but deadly forbidden fruit….. In the end of the day you are a fruit I know that I shouldn't taste."

"Listen….back in Burbank…when we were after Alahi's diamond….. you told me some brutally honest truths. I really respected you for doing that. Carina you ….you were like a breath of fresh air, finally someone who told me something true and real. Do you remember what you told me about spies and why they don't want people to know anything about them?"

Carina's eyes shifted to the left as if recalling the memory.. "Yes, Chuck … I do…What I said was… spies don't want you to know anything about them…because the spy may have to leave them in five minutes….. or shoot them in the head. Trust me, the spy doesn't want you to know anything about them that's real."

Chuck's eyes took on a sad expression and he said "Carina, I also remember you told me the truth about Sarah and Bryce. I mean you told me that they were more than just partners….…you told me they were lovers. Afterwards I asked Sarah about her and Bryce …. and well… she….she kind of lied to me….. tried to cover it up. She said it was "complicated."

"Carina, I need you to tell me some more truths….about what's going on. Can you…I mean …..will you….. do that?"

Carina looked into the camera and said "Chuck, ask your questions… but no promises… okay?"

For the first time Chuck smiled and said "Okay."

Chuck took a big breath and started. "So I'm right you're looking for me and….. and …I mean… is there a termination order?"

Carina's face showed no false smiles. Rather there was a serious look in her eyes and she said. "Yes, Chuck on both counts."

Chuck squeezed his eyes shut and said. "Is Casey heading the search for me?"

"No"

Chuck wanted to ask a dozen questions about Casey but bit them back. He then asked "Is it Sarah? Is Sarah in charge of the search for me?"

Carina nodded her head …"Yes"

Chuck was crestfallen at hearing this and he hung his head. "So is the termination order, shoot on sight? Or is it capture, then interrogate and after that terminate me?"

Carina actually looked a little sad this time. "Chuck…. I'm sorry. Beckman is truly and royally pissed at you for running away. There were rumours that she might not be promoted to Major-General…. because of the mess you have created.

The orders from Beckman are to terminate you. Sarah managed to get Beckman to modify the termination order to detain you until Sarah can interrogate you and then she will personally carry out the termination order. Sarah has been adamant that it has to be her.

"Sarah fought very hard to be put in charge of the search for you, called in a lot of CIA favours and IOU's. In the end she convinced Beckman she knew you best and had the best chance of finding you.

Chuck looked like he had been hit in the stomach. He mumbled into the camera lens. "Yeah, I guess that's fair. I'm a black mark on Sarah's perfect spy record, …the asset… the asset who got away. Hard to believe that you and Sarah would kill me but I guess in the end it's better that someone I know rather than a complete stranger who pulls the trigger."

Chuck then sat up straighter and put his hand over his mouth. Then he said "No…no…that's not right…. wait…Carina forget what I said. I'd rather it was a complete stranger who killed me. You and Sarah already have too many bad memories to forget about…. as it is. You don't need my death added to that list."

Carina just stared at him her face a mask….. no more sexual innuendos and no more false smiles. Carina was reflecting on what she had just heard. Here is Chuck worried about her and Sarah's feelings. He doesn't want Sarah or her to have more bad memories about killing him. Chuck confused the hell out of her. He wasn't like any man she had ever met.

Chuck then smiled at her and said. "Carina, thank you… I mean it… better to know the hard truth than to lie to one's self. Listen for both of our sakes…. I hope we don't meet again.

Say hi to Sarah and tell her I miss her. I miss our time in Burbank… a lot. Sadly …it's probably better for my day to day health….. if Sarah and I …. don't see each other again….."

Chuck just stared into the laptop image of Carina. Who was this women? She was as complex, scary and exotic as Sarah. "Carina, I want to …really….. I mean thanks again for being a straight shooter…er….really sorry… bad pun…..I mean a truth speaker. I hope you aren't the one to find me. Bye."

 **Back in the Present in Minnesota**

October 2009- Roy & Bandt Mitchell's Farm - 10 miles south of Worthington, Minnesota

Chuck turned to Sarah and said. "…and then I killed the connection on the laptop with Carina and went back on the run. Sarah….. you're absolutely sure Carina never reported about Las Cruces….. about me tranquilizing her and then our chat?"

Sarah had this wistful smile on her face and shook her head. "Chuck…. you have a guardian angel somewhere looking out for you… I think… her name is Carina Miller. No Chuck…. Carina never reported the contact with you to anybody.

Carina's official report was that there was no sight of you in the Las Cruces area. She stayed down in New Mexico for another week. But I bet she wasn't looking too hard to find you. She was merely going through the motions and killing time to let you… to let you safely get out of her search area."

Chuck's eyes had a quizzical look and he said. "But Carina was telling me the truth…you were heading the search for me? And Carina said you were moving heaven and earth to find me…which, if you had succeeded, would have meant you coming to kill me?

"Sarah, it doesn't make sense!….. .Why would you want to be put in the charge of the search for me? You know me better than anyone else…..apart from Ellie and Morgan!"

Sarah without hesitation said "Chuck, without a word to me, you disappeared from my life and went on the run. What did you think I would do? What did you think Beckman would make me do?"

Chuck was confused "I guess I thought that you would help with the search for me…..I mean for a while and then you would be reassigned. I mean could go back to being the best spy the CIA had. I thought maybe you would be partnered up with Bryce again, be the Andersons again." Chuck then in a hurt voice said "I never imagined you would ask to be in charge of the hunt for me! What's that about?"

Sarah could feel herself getting angry. Chuck has no idea what this last year has been like for her. He's so caught up in being on the run and staying alive that he doesn't understand how desperate, how sad, how lonely she had been with him gone. Sarah needed to share this with him. She needed him to know why she had moved heaven and earth to be put in charge of the hunt. It wasn't what Chuck thought.

Finally she was able to get the words out.

"As crazy as this sounds Chuck, the best way for me to try and keep you alive was to lead the manhunt to find you." Chuck gave her a puzzled look and the look begged the question….How was hunting me…. helping me?

Sarah continued "Beckman was furious with you for running. Part of her fury was that she had big plans for Team Bartowski. Now that Graham was dead, she was running the Intersect. There were a lot of people worried about the inroads Fulcrum was making. The Intersect was the key to bringing them down.

You surprised her and a lot of NSA analysts by not behaving as they predicted and being a good little "asset". Beckman believed that the combination of Casey and I as handlers and the implied threat against Ellie, Devon and Morgan… if you didn't do what she wanted would keep you in line."

"You know Chuck, I think she always thought she was one or two steps ahead of you. Don't forget she's an experienced field agent and she had studied your Psych profile and consulted with experts. They, and I mean all of them… never thought you would run.

To be honest Chuck, I always thought you would let me know if you were going to make a run for it. So I was also surprised…no actually ….I was stunned you'd gone on the run, so was Casey.

Beckman could see I was surprised and when Casey resigned….."

Chuck jumped in "Casey resigned….I mean why would he…."

Sarah cut Chuck off "…Chuck, shut up and let me finish…then we can talk about Casey."

Sarah took a breath and continued "I was a logical choice to lead the hunt. After all who knew you better than me, right? But first I had to convince Beckman I wasn't compromised. When in fact the truth was I was desperate and heartsick that you had left me. Chuck I thought you knew I was ….I mean I cared…..Shit. Chuck, I'm in love with you and you left me alone without one word or one clue you were going on the run!"

 _A/N – Next time Chuck's escape. More reconciliations in Minnesota._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 Trek 520

 _A/N- Thanks for the encouragement to keep the story going. I have several "loose story threads" to tie up so I'm now thinking I will need eight chapters to finish the tale. I promise I won't drag this out past what my original purpose was and that is Chuck and General Beckman going toe to toe. Erratum: The date Chuck goes on the run is September 11, 2008. A note of thanks to Michaelfmx who was the Beta reader for this chapter._

 _I don't own Chuck and all other such disclaimers that are required._

August 15, 2008 BuyMore – Cage Area

Morgan closed the cage gate and started to walk away. Over his shoulder he said, "Good luck with that piece of junk Chuck. I mean who actually uses one of those clunkers anyway…..see you tonight for our games night. It's your turn to provide the snacks….make sure there is plenty of grape crush."

Chuck was hyper aware that this old computer might be more than just a clunker. Before he fired up the old computer Chuck hacked into the surveillance system Casey had on the cage area, and looped the feed. Fortunately Casey didn't have any listening bugs set up. Using the Intersect, Chuck had built a detection device for all of the current NSA/CIA bugs. The device was somewhat crude… but it worked just fine.

As soon as he fired up the old clunker a message appeared on the screen, "PUT THUMB PRINT HERE". Chuck quickly complied and went through entering that day's one time code and ….

"PIRANHA, I HAVE DEALT WITH FACIAL RECOGNITION ALGORITHIM. ANY HIT THAT IS ACTUALLY YOU WILL BE ALTERED SO PROBABILITY RATE OF MATCH IS LOWER THAN THRESHOLD OF 91% PROBABILITY. ALSO ALGORIRTHIM WILL NOW TAKE A FEW RANDOM HITS OF 85% PROBABILITY AND ELEVATE THEM TO 92%. THEY WILL BE CHASING FALSE TRAILS."

Chuck laughed and quickly typed in, " **Thanks Rigel, Devon and I now have date for me to RUN. September 11** **th** **is R-Day!"**

Rigel's cryptic response was, "CODE WORD- DIAMONDS IN THE SKY."

All of a sudden Chuck flashed. The Intersect poured images of the latest KH-15 US spy satellites, British satellites, Chinese satellites and French satellites. The flash lasted only five seconds but in that short time span critical information on schematics, communication protocols and access codes were now at Chuck's finger tips.

Rigel messaged Chuck, "SORRY ABOUT NOT WARNING YOU ABOUT THE FLASH. I NEED THE SATELLITE INFORMATION. I AM WORKING ON A PLAN. YOU DO KNOW, PIRANHA, THAT AT SOME POINT WE WILL NEED TO FACE THE DRAGON IN HER DEN. I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE WE ARE READY."

Over the next 20 minutes Chuck keyed in the satellite information that Rigel wanted.

Rigel had one more request, "PIRANHA, SEND ME YOUR SENTINEL PROGRAMS -V6.8."

Chuck knew exactly what Rigel wanted. Rigel and he were the only two people in the entire universe that knew about his sentinel programs. Chuck had been working on these programs for years, ever since he first went to Stanford. The programs were designed to sit within existing computer code as simple dull looking sub-routines which dealt with printing, communications and backing up data.

Chuck had been designing the programs to sit silently and sift data that was being processed by the host system. Sentinel programs were always in passive mode. However, if certain key information was detected the sentinels would become active and combine with other sentinel sub-routines to then execute a predetermined set of instructions.

Chuck sent Rigel the latest version of his sentinel programs. Two seconds later the old clunker self-destructed. Chuck waved the smoke away from his face, geez ….Rigel sure had a flare for the dramatic.

August 17, Westside Medical Center 10:00pm

Chuck was sitting on a chair with nothing on but his boxer shorts and his socks. Devon was just completing a full physical/medical examination on his brother in law to be.

"Chuck, I know you hate me prodding and poking you….. just about everywhere…. but this may be the last time you see a Doctor in the next two or three years. I want to check off everything I can think of..…you know…. to make sure you're ready to go on the run.

So far so good. You are a healthy young man of 28. By the way Bro…..because of the daily running we've been doing your cardio is excellent and your VO2 max is well above average."

Chuck finished putting his pants back on, "Thanks Devon…I mean it. You're aces in my book. Without you're help, none of this would be happening. I mean… the chance to get out from under the NSA's control…...to cut the puppet strings that Beckman is tugging and jerking me with day in and day out …Devon …whatever happens …it's worth all the risk."

Devon went over and gave Chuck a huge bear like hug, "Thanks Bro…..now finish getting dressed. We'll grab Ellie and head home." As Devon let Chuck go he felt a tiny scar on Chuck's back. The scar sat just above the left clavicular head of the pectoralis muscle.

"Chuck when did you get this scar on your clavicular head pect?"

Chuck stopped buttoning his shirt, "A Clava what?" Devon held up a mirror so that Chuck could see the scar.

"Oh yeah. I got that scar a couple of months back. It was on a mission…. when Bryce, who was supposedly dead, showed up in my life… once again….lucky me.

Sarah and Casey had taken me to a special CIA clinic where they had Bryce in restraints and he was supposedly now harmless. Casey and Sarah told me to go in the room and interrogate him. Great fracking idea! Bryce then broke out of the restraints….. grabbed me ….then placed this huge needle against my carotid artery. Then, using me as a shield, he takes me to an elevator while every gun in the world is aimed at me. Bryce… just before he makes his escape injected me with some of the drug. When I woke up later …there were Casey and Sarah… staring down at me…..asking me if I was alright.

Casey told me that I had cut myself on my back, when I collapsed in the elevator.

In his usual sympathetic way he said _, 'There you go moron, a couple of quick stitches and you're as good as new. Now stop being a deadbeat and let's go.'_ Devon looked sceptical and said, "Chuck let's take a walk over to the MRI …..I want to do a quick scan. There is a very slight bump under the scar. I want to make sure there's not a growth in there."

Ten minutes later Devon and Chuck were gathered around the monitor in the MRI room. The screen displayed what was underneath the scar.

Devon fiddled with some keys and focused the image. An outline of a very tiny cylinder came into view. Whatever it was…. it wasn't organic. Chuck took a look and flashed. The Intersect showed him a YRT345 GPS tracker, meant for subcutaneous use. This particular NSA model was labelled experimental and when activated and interrogated by a satellite signal would send back a GPS co-ordinate.

Chuck's face reddened and he swore under his breath. Then he told Devon what the cylinder actually was. Devon shook his head, "Shit. These guys are playing for keeps Bro. Think about it …think of all of our work, all of our preparation and that little bug in your back would have led them right to you. Then we would both be either in a bunker or in a shallow grave….. Shit."

Chuck could see that Devon was fully on board… he knew just how much danger they were in.

They both sat in their chairs and said nothing…. taking in the enormity of what they had just discovered.

Chuck broke the silence, "Can you take it out Devon?"

"Sure Chuck, piece of cake. But what if the satellite sends a test signal …say once a day, once a week or once a month. If the NSA doesn't get a response then they may be onto us and now we're both in deep shit. No Chuck we do nothing….. let's leave it….leave it in… until the morning of your escape. I'll bring a small scalpel and suture kit with me. It will take five minutes. We can leave the little bugger in the same spot we leave your GPS tracker watch. In the meantime hop back onto the table in the MRI room. I'm going to check every inch of you to make sure there are no other NSA/CIA surprises inside of you."

Back in the Present

October 2009- Roy & Bandt Mitchell's Farm - 10 miles south of Worthington, Minnesota

Sarah took a breath and continued, "I was a logical choice to lead the hunt for you. After all who knew you better than me, right? But first I had to convince Beckman I wasn't compromised. When in fact the truth was I was desperate and heartsick that you had left me. Chuck I thought you knew I was ….I mean I cared…..Shit. Chuck, I'm in love with you and you left me alone without one word or one clue you were going on the run!"

Sarah suddenly stopped talking. It suddenly dawned on her that she'd just told Chuck she was in love with him. She was cursing herself for saying it while she was angry with him. This wasn't how she planned it….…no….. not this way. But her self-recriminations and her anger disappeared in a single heartbeat.

It was the look on Chuck's face.

Chuck's hearing was excellent but it seemed to take a long time for his brain to register the words Sarah had just said. But once his brain did register them, one feeling after another raced across his face. Disbelief, gave way to shock which quickly gave way to a glimmer of hope that the thing he most wanted in this world might just be happening.

Sarah was watching all this as the moonlight washed over Chuck's face. It was when he smiled because he was happy… then …she felt a warmth spread through her body. Sarah still hadn't reconciled with such strong feelings racing through her like this. It was new. It was great but it was damn frightening.

It was his smile that pushed that all away. She couldn't help herself. Sarah gave him a dazzling smile and Chuck moved closer. He tentatively reached up with his right hand and put it behind her neck and then kissed her. Sarah's hand reached his face and she moved closer to deepen the kiss. It was only the need for air that ended their first kiss together in well over a year. Both of them withdrew just far enough, but no further, than was required to see each other's face clearly.

Sarah said, "Chuck I'm sorry….. that I didn't tell you this a year ago. I knew I loved you back then…. but I was terrified…if Casey or Beckman found out… If they found out I was compromised.

"Beckman would have reassigned me in a heartbeat. I'm sure of it. If she had done that, I would probably never see you again. That …..that…. would have destroyed me….. body and soul."

Chuck touched her hand, "Sarah at some subconscious level I think…..I hoped you might… but there were so many mixed messages between us, it confused the hell out of me.

"But for me the killer self-doubt really came when I saw you….saw you with Bryce…..I mean together, the two of you looked so perfectly matched. I mean who was I to compete…..….." Sarah quickly reached up with two fingers and pressed them firmly against his lips to stop him talking.

Sarah clearly remembered that Chuck had seen her and Bryce kiss in his room and the effect it had on him.

"Chuck, I'll say this once and then we'll leave that part of my life behind. What Bryce and I had barely compares with what I feel for you. Bryce is my distant….. no …..he is my ancient past. A past that has no sway over my emotions, over my hopes or over my future. Each day from here on in, I will show and tell you that it is you and I who are perfectly matched! Please believe it Chuck….. and believe in me. Trust me Chuck." After she finished talking she slowly removed her two fingers from his lips.

Chuck's mind was in a whirl.

On the one hand here was the woman of his dreams telling him she loved him. God, how many times had he longed to hear her speak those words? But this was Agent Sarah Walker, the best agent the CIA had. As far as he knew she was still working for the CIA. Then the questions started. Question upon question popped up in his mind. And he didn't know the answer to any of them….not yet. Was Sarah still an agent? What was her mission? Was she expected to bring him back in? What was Beckman's role in all of this?

Sarah had hoped that Chuck would have said more, done more after what she had told him. But she reminded herself that she needed to be patient. She needed to accomplish her mission. Earn back Chuck Bartowski's trust and love.

Sarah snuggled in close to Chuck and he enveloped her in his arms and arranged the blankets over their shoulders and legs. He could feel Sarah relaxing into him and felt her body sag a little. Chuck leaned down and quietly spoke into her ear, "Sarah, when was the last time you slept?"

Sarah mumbled, "Thirty-six hours ago. I managed a two hour nap on the plane coming to Minneapolis."

The temperature had now dropped to 48 Fahrenheit and Chuck said, "It's getting cold and you look dead on your feet. Let's head back to the house and get you into bed. By the way, in front of Roy and Bandt, you'd better call me Charles. My name is Charles Conner. Think you can remember that?" Sarah nodded yes but Chuck could see she was fading fast.

They walked into the house and standing there in his dressing gown was Roy Mitchell. His bedroom was on the ground floor just off the parlour. He could no longer get up and down the stairs easily with his arthritic hip. Roy at one time had been a six footer but age and hard work on the farm had whittled an inch or so off his frame.

For someone who was 75 years old he was in pretty fair health. He was holding a glass of hot milk in his hand and was headed back to bed. Chuck closed the door behind him and said, "Couldn't sleep, eh Roy? Roy this is Sarah…you know Sarah….. who I told you about. Roy meet Sarah Walker, Sarah Walker meet Roy Mitchell."

Roy shook her hand and said, "Pleased to meet you. Well my goodness… you're prettier than your picture Chuck has showed us. Geez….. that's funny I never heard a car coming up the driveway." Sarah gave Roy a lovely smile and said, "I don't have a car here Roy, before it got dark I cycled here from Worthington."

Chuck gave Sarah this surprised look but quickly recovered. "Roy I was going to let Sarah have my room upstairs …..for tonight. I'll use the couch in the parlour, if that is okay with you." Roy gave a little snort, "Nonsense Charles…. Bandt and I may be old…. but we're not prudes. We both remember what it was like to be young ….and in love.

"The two of you get upstairs and we'll talk tomorrow over breakfast." Just then Bandt appeared at the top of the stairs in her dressing gown and said, "What's all this noise and carrying on?….It's the middle of the night."

It was just shy of 10pm….. but for Bandt & Roy, who were early to bed and early to rise folk, it was the middle of the night.

Roy spoke up loudly, "Bandt, this is Charles' Sarah….you know Sarah… the one he left back on the west coast. She has finally come to see him after all this time."

Bandt reached for her glasses in her dressing gown pocket, put them on and continued down the stairs. When she got to the bottom she put out her hand, "Happy to meet you Sarah…my Lord …..I would have recognized you right off from your picture in Charles' room. Welcome to our home."

Bandt noticed two things, first Sarah was a beautiful girl, next that she looked absolutely exhausted.

Bandt quickly echoed Roy's sentiments and told them both to get up to bed and stop talking nonsense about Charles sleeping on the couch. It was late and everyone needed to get to bed…..after all….. it was now 10:15pm.

Bandt whispered to Chuck as he and Sarah headed back outside again to get her bike and pannier bags, "I expect you won't be up at our normal time, don't you worry about that… you two lie in as late as you want."

Sarah went back outside with Chuck and a flashlight to get her bike that was hidden in the trees. Chuck grabbed the bike and Sarah grabbed her panniers with her clothes, waterproofs, toothbrush, backup gun and two spare magazines to take back inside.

Sarah, even though exhausted, always noticed her surroundings. It was training that was etched into her subconscious. There were three bedrooms upstairs with the same hardwood maple flooring as downstairs. Chuck's room was full of beautiful handcrafted furniture and a queen sized bed with a solid brass headboard and a handmade quilt on top.

Her eye was drawn to a little bedside table. On top of it was a framed picture of Chuck and Sarah… sitting on the couch in Ellie's apartment. Both of them looking relaxed and happy. Sarah picked up the picture and delicately ran her fingers across the glass.

Chuck showed Sarah where the bathroom was and went in first, he quickly brushed his teeth and waited for her in bed. His head was on the pillow and he was staring up at the ceiling, when Sarah came through the door and got under the blankets, she was chilled and immediately snuggled into Chuck for maximum warmth and buried her cold nose in his neck. Chuck put his arms around her and kissed her forehead and her eyes and her cheeks. She leaned up and their lips came together. It was a gentle kiss.

Sarah snuggled back into Chuck and mumbled, "Chuck I'm seven time zones out of synch. I'll explain it all …..in the… morning. I need to sleep…..is that okay…...will you just hold me…I promise that …?"

Chuck cut her off, "Sarah go to sleep. I'm pretty much in heaven just having you here in my bed." He kissed the top of her head and a minute later he felt Sarah's body relax.

Sarah had been asleep for seven hours. No nightmares. No….. not this night.

It was a faint noise that brought her ever so slowly up from a very deep, very content sleep. A part of her was upset. No, I don't want to wake up. There was that damn noise again. Her training kicked in and demanded she come out of that deep sleep. An agent was vulnerable when they were asleep.

She felt another presence near her, holding her. Even though she was being held… she didn't feel….. in danger. Her eyes opened it was pitch dark in the room. Where the hell was she? Her right hand slowly moved under the pillow. Shit….no gun and no knife.

Chuck was already awake. Why wouldn't he be awake? It was five o'clock. This was the normal time he woke up. He always got up with Roy & Bandt. The noises Sarah was hearing were very familiar to him. It was Bandt and then Roy getting up and heading out to Roy's workroom in the Barn. Chickens needed fed, so did the two hogs. Once that was done Roy & Bandt would sit down in his workshop in the barn and listen to the morning news on the radio. Listen to the farm report and have a cup of coffee.

Chuck felt Sarah stiffen and realized that she might be disoriented. A lot had happened, plus she had gone to bed exhausted.

He had seen first-hand what Agent Walker could do with her bare hands and feet. He didn't want an elbow smashing his jaw apart or crashing into his sternum. He quickly and soothingly said, "Sarah, Sarah… it's okay, it's Chuck you're safe…there's no danger…It's five o'clock in the morning. Roy and Bandt are headed out to the barn. They'll be gone for the next hour."

The sound of Chuck's voice was all she needed. Her moment of being disoriented vanished. Chuck felt her body relax against him.

Seconds later Sarah said, "Chuck, please …...let me go…just for a minute… I need to go to the washroom. And….. Chuck, you need to go and brush your teeth."

They both quickly got back into his bed. It was cold outside the warmth of the duvet and quilt. Chuck had his arms wrapped around her once again. She twisted around in his arms so she could face him. As Sarah twisted around …. Chuck, mindful that minutes before Sarah had almost attacked him…..couldn't resist reminding her….….. so in a playful tone he said, "Sarah are you moving closer… to kill me…or…. to kiss me?"

Sarah moved closer and put her warm hand on his chest and in a soft voice full of promise said, "Chuck what I'm planning to do to you …well ….it might… just kill you. But….. you….. will die a very, very happy man."

Sarah moved her right hand behind his neck and pulled him into a deep wet kiss. The other hand was moving ever so slowly to the land down below. Chuck let out a small moan.

Later it was the smell of freshly brewed coffee that woke both of them up. The sun had just risen so Chuck knew it must be 7:30am or ….God forbid…8:00am. Sarah's head was on his chest. When he opened his eyes and looked down… a pair of dazzling blue eyes were looking right back up at him. Chuck hoped this wasn't a dream. Too many times in the past Sarah would be in bed with him but then would vanish like smoke as his dreams ended. Another day without her would dawn. But not this time.

Chuck smiled at her, "Morning beautiful. I think we both need some sustenance… you know… ..so I can be well… prepared." Chuck blushed a little as he was saying this. Sarah loved his shyness. God she had missed this man.

Chuck continued, "I mean have energy ….. for the next time….we…." Sarah kissed him quickly, gave his chest a gentle smack and said, "I'm starved Charles Conner …..let's get dressed and go downstairs. After we eat….I have a lot I need to tell you. But….wait….. before we go down tell me how you ended up on this farm, living with Roy & Bandt?"

Chuck put his head closer to Sarah, "It was pure happenstance and maybe my guardian angel looking out for me. It was May and I just kept cycling slowly north chasing spring. As I was cycling by the farm, I noticed this old man up on the roof with this old lady holding the ladder. I was worried that he might fall and shouted out and offered to help them.

" Roy and Bandt introduced themselves and explained that the eaves trough needed to be cleaned and that there were cedar shingles that needed replacing. So I stayed the rest of the day and helped them. I didn't have a clue what I was doing but Roy told me what to do and how to do it. I did the hard labour part of the job, Roy was the brains.

"I was pretty filthy at the end of the day and Roy and Bandt told me I needed to have a bath and stay for dinner. By the time that was all done the sun was just starting to set. I asked them if I could put my little tent up in their field for the night. Bandt wouldn't hear of it and she put me here in this room.

"There was plenty of work needing done around the farm and the farmhouse. One day melted away into the next and a week had passed by. I finally said to them that I was abusing their hospitality and should be moving on. By then I had told them "My Story". I talked about breaking up with my fiancé, my heart being broken."

Sarah's eyes widened at hearing the word fiancé but with great effort, held her tongue.

"I told them I had decided to quit my job so I could ride across the country to find myself and try to raise money for cancer research in memory of my Dad who died from lung cancer. Before I went on the run I had set up a donation page in honor of my Dad, Frank Conner on the American Cancer Society web site. All money that might be raised would go to them. I had hated lying to them but it wasn't all lies.

"I think it was at the end of that week, Roy and Bandt had obviously talked, that they had a proposition for me. They couldn't afford to pay someone to help them around the farm but if I stayed and helped them, then I would be welcome to free room and board. For me it was a perfect way to quietly stay off the grid.

"I agreed with one condition. That whenever they wanted me to go they shouldn't hesitate to tell me and I would be on my way the very next day. After we reached an understanding, I think it was the next day. Roy drove us both into Worthington. He drove right up to the Sheriff's Office. My heart sank and I almost panicked. I thought Roy hadn't believed one bit of my story and was turning me in.

"But instead he turned to me and said, "Charles everyone in this county eventually knows everyone else's business. It's probably best that folks know who you are and why you're staying with us."

"So we went into Sheriff Robert Hansen's office and Roy sat down with me and said, "Bob, this young man has helped Bandt and I out at the farm this last week and we have asked him to stay on for a while.

"You know Bob even with folk's help it has been difficult for Bandt and me to keep up with all that needs doing around the place."

"So for the next forty minutes Sherriff Robert Hansen just chatted with us. But he was crafty and also very skilled at finding out about who I was. So I told him "my story". I also pulled out my ID and let him see it. My beard now matched the drivers' licence exactly."

"I also told the Sherriff about the lawyer in Sacramento who had power of attorney, while I was on my journey. I told the Sherriff he was welcome to call my lawyer. Later I'm sure he checked me out to make sure Charles Conner didn't have any outstanding warrants or a criminal record. Also I bet he called the lawyer's office but Devon and I had been careful and we knew that it would all check out.

"So eventually word got around the county that a young man named Charles Conner was boarding with the Mitchells. And of course the other thing that got around the county was my very sad story about a guy being heartbroken over a girl, his fiancé, who put her job above true love. Not only was this poor guy heartbroken, but soon thereafter he lost his dad to cancer. Two shattering events one after the other..…..well Charles Conner… just got up and rode away from his troubles and his pain.

"People around here love telling each other stories and this one was right up there…it was a good one." Chuck paused and finished his story. "So there you have it, that's how I ended up on this farm with Roy and Bandt."

Sarah's eyes narrowed. They had lost some of their softness and her voice was a little harsh. "So Chuck ….you mean to tell me….everyone in this….. damn county… has me pictured as a cold, hard-hearted, selfish bitch who loved her job and career more than her fiancé, broke his heart by choosing her job over him….. and …..and….. didn't support him when his father died.

Chuck, in a worried tone said, "Sarah, I …umm, well you know it was important to …..Listen ….you once told me….. a good cover story has to have elements of truth..….by the way… I don't think you're a bitch…I mean sometimes maybe….." Chuck took this big breath, "…Sarah …you are making it sound much worse than it is.

Chuck proceeded to dig himself a deeper hole

"Okay, maybe yes. I kind of portrayed you as a "bitch" and… made myself the victim. I think five months ago I was still feeling angry about….and perhaps…maybe a little sorry for myself. So if you meet folk from around here, they may be a tiny bit cool towards you….I mean when I introduce you…..just at first. But I'm sure they'll warm up to you…hmmm."

Chuck lowered his brown eyes a little, looked sheepishly towards her and raised both hands as if to say, "I'm sorry."

Sarah in a decidedly cool tone said, "Okay Charles Conner, since I am such a bitch, you can forget about getting past first base from here on in. In fact….. I think you can forget about a repeat of what happened earlier this morning….I have no intention …Bitch is it!?….…" As she was talking Chuck reached out and grabbed her into a hug. Sarah was pissed with him but God she'd missed his hugs. She let him start kissing her on the neck. One of his hands reached out to tickle her.

She fought off his hand but giggled and then went on the offensive …she tickled him. Finally they lay back down holding each other. Sarah said, "If I don't eat I'll faint on you. Then where will you be. Chuck, get out of bed."

They dressed quickly and went downstairs. When Bandt saw Chuck and Sarah coming down the stairs she went to the back door and shouted, "Roy they're finally up. Come on in for breakfast." Chuck whispered, "Get ready for the best breakfast you will ever have."

September 1, 2008 – Echo Park Chuck's Room

Chuck was still in his BuyMore shirt and pants lying on his bed. His hands were underneath his head and he was staring at the ceiling and going over his plan. He knew every twitch of his finger was being recorded as was every sigh or grunt. Thank you Casey and thank you NSA. But they couldn't read his mind.

This afternoon, Chuck) had just hacked into the BuyMore system and placed a big order from Burbank Mall Incorporated. They were going to upgrade their five servers with Windows Server 2008. At least that was what the fake order said. It was a big job that would take Chuck all day on September 11th and quite possibly most of the night. So at 8am Chuck and Devon's plan would commence. If all went well Chuck would get almost a 24 hour head start. He would need every second and every minute of it for this to work.

September 5, 2008 – Castle

Sarah and Casey were standing in front of the big screen as General Beckman spoke, "So, based on your reports the asset is performing adequately?"

Casey spoke first, "He has done what we have asked of him and has contributed significantly to the success of all our missions."

General Beckman directed a question to Sarah, "Agent Walker, have you noticed any significant change in the asset's behaviour. Does he appear happy or at least content with his situation?"

Sarah thought for a couple of seconds. "General, I believe he has changed. Not in any overt way you can easily see or measure. The change started about the time the Beta Intersect was lost in the explosion. I'm convinced that Chuck is still disappointed that he cannot go back to his normal life. Plus the continued loss of any privacy in his life."

Sarah didn't see the quick look that passed between Casey and the General at the mention of the Beta Intersect blowing up.

General Beckman was silent. She was obviously about to spring something on them. "Agent Walker I need you to buoy up the assets spirits over the next week or so. I will need you and Agent Casey to bring him to D.C. on September 11th for us to upload new information that is vital in identifying Fulcrum Agents. I need him to be okay with this. Agent Casey I want you to go easy on him this next week. Agent Walker I need you to make him more amenable to getting the Intersect upload. Tell him the sooner we eliminate Fulcrum the sooner he will be free. Also tell him the procedure entails little risk."

While the General was speaking Casey was checking the BuyMore work log for next week. He jumped back into the conversation, "General, might I suggest we all fly out on the evening of September 12th. An important customer has placed a large work order for the 11th. Bartowski is the only one who can do the work. If we pull him out on September 11th, Big Mike the manager will call Head Office…he'll be very upset…. it might draw the wrong kind of attention."

General Beckman only took a second to make her decision, "Very well, make it September 12th. Dismissed."


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N – Thank you for the reviews and comments. It appears folk are still enjoying the tale. The pace will now quicken. Winston Churchill did not make the quote in Chuck's letter to Casey. It is a paraphrase from George Orwell. Chuck knows that but Casey likes Churchill. Thanks again to Michaelfmx Beta reader for this chapter and some helpful suggestions._

Chapter 6

October 2009- Roy & Bandt Mitchell's Farm - 10 miles south of Worthington, Minnesota

Sarah and Bandt were sitting on the porch steps with their cups of coffee. They were watching Roy and Chuck replace two fence posts and repair the five-strand electric wire on a section of the sheep pen. The electric fence kept the coyotes from grabbing one of their 12 Dorset sheep during the night.

Breakfast had been amazing and Sarah hadn't been shy about digging in and eating almost as much as Chuck. Sarah's hardy appetite went down very well with Bandt. The conversation around the table had been polite. Sarah had steered away from any tough questions about her and her job. Sarah had worked hard, with a little help from Chuck, to deflect Roy and Bandt's questions. Instead she had managed to get Roy and Bandt to tell their story.

Sarah could tell that Bandt was dying to know more about her and the break up between her and Charles. Bandt wasn't the kind of woman who was easily side-tracked. Sarah waited for the tough interrogation to begin.

Bandt gave Sarah a ghost of a smile. "Sarah, folk around here often tell me that I'm a straight talking woman. In other words I can be blunt. Why have you come here? I mean to say….. after all this time has passed between the two of you? What caused the sudden change of heart?"

Sarah decided to place as much truth as possible in the sandwich of lies she was about to serve up to Bandt.

"I love Charles. There is no other man that comes close in my life. Did Charles tell you there was someone else?"

Bandt hesitated. "…Charles… did say that in the past… before you met him….. someone he was friends with at college. I believe he said you met this fellow in Washington…Bruce…yes that's it Bruce …. was his name."

Sarah blinked once and promised herself she was going to clobber Chuck later. My God, what had he told these people about them and about her? Sarah gathered her thoughts, took a quick breath and started.

"Bruce was a long time ago. He was my first real relationship. We met at work. We were working on a big project in Latin America. Bandt, I don't mean to sound conceited but I know I'm good looking. I'm aware of how attractive I am to most men. So you may think that I have had lots of relationships. I haven't. I have been very guarded with men and relationships….. most of my life.

"Most of the men I've met have been through work. I think it's safe to say they aren't very nice people. I found them to be arrogant, narcissistic and, above all, ambitious.

"My work…..my job was….well let's say it was all consuming. I threw myself into my work. There was a lot of international travel. I'm a gifted linguist and my services were in great demand by my company.

"I simply didn't have time to worry about meeting someone or falling in love. Each day I was just trying to stay ali….….er… alert. It was when I met Charles out west….. that ….for the very first time… I started to resent the personal demands my job placed on me.

"But I was torn Bandt. I've worked for the same company since I left college. It's all I know. Now here comes this really nice guy and I start to wonder…is there something else…another road I might take?

"Bandt, Chu…Charles has no rivals for my affections. None! Certainly not Bruce. Bruce lacked depth, kindness and, most importantly, his heart just wasn't big enough. Charles has a big heart and it's a lucky person indeed who is on the receiving end of his love and affection."

Sarah stopped talking. Dammit, there were those strong feelings rising up within her as she talked with Bandt. She didn't want to cry, not here and not now. She looked over at Chuck as he was working and breathed slowly to get control over her emotions.

Bandt didn't know Sarah that well but she knew how to separate bullshit from truth. She believed she was hearing a lot of truth. "Sarah, I'm happy to hear you say that you love Charles. Roy and I will never have any children and we're okay with that. We love our life here on the farm.

"Charles has been a blessing to us. I'm not talking about helping us around the farm. No. I'm talking about the lightness he brings into our life, his offbeat sense of humor, his kindness and consideration for others. Roy says Charles is one of the smartest men he's ever met. He has picked up woodworking skills and Roy has taught him how to fix most things mechanical on the farm. Roy says he is a quick study."

Bandt leaned closer to Sarah to share a confidence.

"For the last two months, Charles has been helping a lot of our neighbors with the harvest and odd jobs that need to be done before winter comes roaring back. He won't take a red cent for helping folk. Just tells them to pay it forward to Roy and me. We had to ask someone what that actually meant.

"The last eight weeks he's worked like a Trojan, from 5am to sunset. People around here like him and are grateful for his help."

Bandt had a sip of her coffee. Round two. "Sarah, so it was the job that was keeping you apart? Has that problem been resolved?"

Sarah liked Bandt but dearly wished she was less forthright and direct.

"The job, yes it has been a major stumbling block between us. You asked if I'd had a change of heart. Yes, I did. It was in March of this year, that I finally reached my decision. I'm still coming to terms with that decision because I'm frightened what the future may hold for Charles and me. I haven't told my employer yet, they won't be happy, they may actually try to make it hard for me to leave. But my mind is made up. That's why I'm here, Bandt, to figure out what Charles wants to do next. I want to be a part of it."

Bandt gave Sarah a pat on the shoulder and said, "I've got to start baking. I'm glad you're here Sarah. Please don't take this the wrong way but there are a couple of young ladies in the county who aren't going to be happy you've come to visit Charles. Don't get up. You relax….. enjoy your coffee."

Chuck had his shirt off and was wearing shorts. It was 65 Fahrenheit but plunging the post-hole digger repeatedly into the packed earth and using the hand auger was hard sweaty work. Sarah had a great opportunity to see the results on Chuck's physique. Cycling across half of the US and working on the farm had not hurt Chuck. No, not at all. He was pounding away at the earth at a steady pace seemingly without flagging. He had a lot of stamina. Sarah smiled to herself, yes, indeed he did.

Bandt was fascinated by how intently Sarah was looking at Charles. The girl was smitten with Charles, a blind person could see it. She had the look of a woman who was violently in love. Bandt also noticed that at regular intervals Sarah would stop looking at Charles and quickly scan the farmyard, the approach roads and surrounding fields. It reminded Bandt of how a mother bear would stand up tall, look and sniff around her as she watched over her cub.

September 11, 2008 –Echo Park 6:30am

Chuck had only taken two items from his room. Two photos. He took a last look around his room and all his things, including his Tron poster. He didn't expect to ever see his things or this room again. Time to go.

September 11, 2008 – Burbank Mall – 8am

Chuck parked the Nerd Herder in the lowest level of the underground parking garage. He immediately went up to security and presented the fake work order. Chuck knew it was in their system. He had put it there.

He was given a visitor ID badge. Next he took the elevator up to the IT area and signed in. He told the IT Supervisor that he was going to be running diagnostics for the next 18 hours. These tests were explicitly required under their maintenance and service agreement. The supervisor didn't care, it wasn't going to cost the company any money and the work could be done without any impact on the operating systems. He told Chuck to "knock yourself out."

The servers were in a locked room in the basement, unattended. Chuck keyed in the access code.

First order of business was to hack into the surveillance systems for the mall. The system would now take yesterday's data and each hour overwrite today's data. In essence when the NSA finally looked at the surveillance camera data for the Burbank Mall they would have nothing for September 11 but two copies of the data for September 10th.

Chuck now stripped down. He took off every article of clothing save for his boxer shorts and socks. Shirt & pants, his GPS watch, his iPhone and even his shoes. Everything! All of it was put it into a clear garbage bag he'd brought in his knapsack. There was a knock on the door and a voice, "…..Chuck?" He opened the door and Devon was standing there.

Devon pulled out the scalpel/suture kit and a partially cooked turkey breast wrapped in aluminum foil and still warm. Chuck raised his eyebrows as if to say …what?….. when he looked at it. Devon grinned. "Maybe the cylinder needs to be kept in a warm fleshy environment. Why take chances?"

Chuck sat down on a chair. Both of them were now focused and all business. True to his word, Devon got the subcutaneous NSA tracker cylinder out of Chuck's shoulder in under four minutes and had him stitched up three minutes later.

Devon cut into the still warm turkey breast and carefully put the little NSA cylinder inside and stitched it up. "Chuck I need to put this somewhere warm." Chuck took the turkey breast and put it on top of one of the servers…. that should keep it warm enough.

Devon said, "Chuck give me your finger." He told Chuck to look the other way and nicked his finger with another scalpel to get the blood flowing. "I'm going to make it look like it was you who cut this cylinder out. I need more blood. Sorry Bro, need to make this look like an amateur did the cutting. It needs to be messy."

Devon then let the blood drip over the chair and onto the floor. He made Chuck touch a little hand mirror with his bloody left hand and then put it under the chair along with some blood soaked bandages." Devon then put a bandage on his finger.

Devon handed Chuck a blue boiler suit he had taken from the hospital. He then took out their check list and ticked off every item as planned. "Okay Chuckster, are you ready?" Chuck nodded yes. His heart was hammering in his chest.

They quickly went to Devon's car and Chuck got into the trunk. Devon folded down one of the back seats so that Chuck could see into the interior of the car. They drove over to the hospital to get Ellie. There would be no record of Devon actually being at the Burbank Mall. Chuck had taken care of that.

Rigel knew the timetable and was online. He had agreed to disrupt the CCTV & stoplight cameras along the route from the Burbank Mall to the hospital. There would be no record that Devon's car was anywhere but the hospital. Devon's shift didn't officially finish for another thirty minutes.

The run plan hinged on the NSA seeing what they expected to see. Once a month on a Thursday, Devon and Ellie would finish their shift at the hospital and drive up to Sacramento. They would spend that day and night with his parents Woody and Honey. They had been doing this for the last year. Today was the usual day to make the drive.

Devon said, "Chuck, until we are on the highway don't let on to Ellie that you are in the trunk. Let me bring her up to date and then for the rest of the journey you two can talk. It may be a very long time before you guys will have the chance to talk."

Devon picked Ellie up at the hospital and they headed out to Sacramento.

The car ride was an emotional roller coaster for Ellie. Devon first and then Chuck spent the next two hours telling Ellie what had been happening for the last eight months. Devon had to keep reminding Ellie not to turn around when she was talking with Chuck.

Ellie, of course, asked why they couldn't just go to the FBI? Chuck made it clear that the accountability system that by rights should keep the NSA/ CIA in check was broken. There was a very good chance that the FBI would simply turn all of them over to the NSA in the middle of the night. Beckman would play the national security card and win.

Chuck also told them both about Fulcrum, a splinter group within the intelligence community that had moles in the FBI. It would be an even worse fate for him if he ever fell into their hands.

Chuck didn't tell Devon or Ellie about what his specific plans were after he left them in Sacramento. To be honest Chuck didn't know if that would make much of a difference. If the NSA found out he was on a bike and that his name was Charles Conner, he was pretty much dead meat. He did have a backup identity that he had created but it paled in comparison to the one Rigel had made for him.

Ellie, to her eternal credit, never once freaked out while she listened to Devon and Chuck. Oh she cried, she got mad as hell at Sarah and Casey. She got very sad at the thought of not seeing Chuck for several years…maybe ever again. She was livid with Bryce for sending Chuck the Intersect. At one point she exclaimed, "Bryce was always a selfish, spoiled, rich little bastard."

Ellie said, "Chuck, do whatever you have…..I mean to stay alive….to be safe. Don't worry about us. Woody and Honey are from old California stock. Once we tell them the sanitized version of your story they will move heaven and earth to keep us safe."

As the story was relayed to Ellie and the miles slipped by, she felt increasingly bitter about the lies that John Casey and Sarah Walker had been telling her. About half way to Sacramento Chuck finally told Ellie the worst piece of the story and why he had to run. He told her about the termination order.

Ellie kept saying over and over, "A termination order….a termin…..?" She had no scale or benchmark to compare that level of betrayal by people she knew and loved. It was inconceivable to her. She had invited Casey and Sarah into her home…and treated them like family…...it was just too much for her. Ellie's face went white. Her mouth was moving but no words were coming out. She finally found her voice and shouted, "Devon …stop the car….pull over….. quick!" Ellie got two steps out of the car and vomited.

Chuck once again desperately hoped that Devon was right and his parents had enough political influence to keep Ellie and Devon safe from the clutches of General Beckman.

Rigel had been told the route Devon was going to drive to Sacramento. He had suggested to Chuck and Devon that they get off the highway at exit 512. That was one exit before 513 where Devon usually left the highway to go to his parent's house. Drop Chuck off at the storage unit, drive back to exit 512, get back on the highway and then get off at exit 513. Then drive to his parents' house as he usually did.

Rigel would be watching online for Devon's car and take care of all traffic cameras covering Devon's little side trip to the storage unit. It was less than a mile. By the time Rigel was finished with the traffic cameras and CCTV cameras, the NSA would see Devon and Ellie getting off the highway at exit 513 and going straight to his parents' house.

When the time came for them to leave, Ellie gave Chuck a bone crushing hug, tears were streaming down her cheeks as she said her final goodbye to her beloved little brother. "Chuck, promise me you'll come back to me…but not before it's safe. I love you!" Devon had to gently pull Ellie away from Chuck, who was also in tears. Devon gave Chuck a quick hug.

Chuck watched Devon's car disappear around the corner. He felt like shit.

September 11, 2008 2:30pm Sacramento – Storage Unit Exit 512 -Pocket Road.

Chuck keyed in the combination to storage unit 5349, rented to a Charles Conner. He flicked the light switch on. Inside, ready to go, was the Trek 520 with two front and two rear waterproof panniers already expertly loaded, four water bottles on the frame and a Brook's saddle, already broken in.

Devon had given Chuck a PDF file with each item in the panniers and where each item was to be placed in the pannier. There was a one man tent, weighing two pounds, ultralight sleeping bag, Mylar blanket(to reduce his infrared signature at night), freeze dried food, tiny camp stove, one change of clothes, base layer and all the other items Chuck would need to be on his own for weeks at a time. Along the way he could replenish a lot of the consumables at any camping or outdoor store.

Total weight in the panniers was 45 Ibs. Laid out beside the bike was his cycling gear and helmet and high quality waterproof jacket and pants.

Also waiting for Chuck, to his great delight, was a new iPhone with the SIM card taken out and the GPS disabled. It was preloaded with PDF maps of the US, west of the Mississippi. Most importantly it was loaded with Chuck's …..going on the run music.

Charles Conner's lawyer had received detailed instructions from his client on what items to purchase and where to have them delivered. Devon had done all the packing and preparation on his visits home. He had done enough cycling to know what worked best and had been unstinting in making sure Chuck had the best and lightest equipment.

Devon had left room in one of the panniers for items Chuck had taken from Castle last night. He went to his knapsack and pulled out the micro cameras and bugs and one tranquilizer gun with four darts, ready to go. He put these items in the rear pannier.

Chuck changed into his cycling gear and put the boiler suit in his knapsack. He then walked over to a nearby dumpster and threw the knapsack and boiler suit away. He hopped on the bike and headed for a rendezvous with The Northern California Touring Group.

Charles Conner was booked to go on their guided and catered ten day cycling trip from Sacramento to Portland, Oregon, 641 miles. Sixty miles a day, piece of cake. The tour group provided van support. This meant they carried your panniers in the vans, provided food and set up the tents at the end of each day. No hotels, no motels. Chuck figured this would allow him ten days to get used to the bike, review the PDF's on all the equipment and build up some stamina.

Chuck closed the storage unit door, clipped his cycling shoes into the pedals and headed for Discovery Park to meet the Touring group.

September 11, Echo Park –Casey's apartment 7pm

Casey checked the GPS tracker for the moron. The locator put him at the Burbank Mall. He was still in the server room. Chuck had told him the night before that this install was going to be as difficult a piece of work as he had ever done.

Casey was okay with Bartowski working late. No need to pester him. He wasn't scheduled to work tomorrow and the flight to D.C didn't take off until 5pm. Casey had followed Beckman's order and had been nice to Bartowski all week. Well, as nice as Casey ever really got. He was surprised how well Bartowski had taken the news about another Intersect upload and having to go D.C.

Casey set his watch to check up on the moron at 1am.

September 11, 2008 Maison23 Room 832 – 11pm

Sarah Walker was lying in her bed with her phone in her hand. She contemplated calling Chuck. Yesterday they had gone to lunch at their usual place near the BuyMore and chatted. It was a good lunch. Sarah had wanted to make sure he wasn't going to freak out about the Intersect upload. She told Chuck that there was no apparent risk to him according to Beckman.

Chuck had laughed out loud and said:

 _"_ _Sarah supposing there was some risk to me. Do you really believe Beckman would share that with the asset or you?_ _I'm too valuable flashing on Fulcrum agents for her to worry about what might be happening up here." Chuck gently tapped his forehead._

 _Sarah didn't know how to answer Chuck. Was Beckman capable of telling her and Chuck half-truths and outright lies? Silly question. Yes of course she was. Sarah hesitated but finally spoke_ , _"_ _Chuck I don't know but I'm going to be with you, every step of the way. Watching everything they do and say. If I_ , _for one moment_ , _suspect this is hurting you….I mean permanently then I will always put your safety first."_

 _Chuck gave her a big smile and said_ , _"_ _Yes, Sarah I believe you would look out for me."_

Maybe she should go visit him at the Burbank Mall. Perhaps he would like some company as he worked late into the night. He hadn't called her today at all. Just then Sarah got a text from Chuck's iPhone. Chuck had programmed the iPhone he left in the server room to send text messages to Casey and Sarah starting at 11pm and send a standard response if he got a text message from them.

 _"_ _Sarah, this install is a bitch….I'll be here most of the night. Don't worry about me. I'm fine ….see you in the morning. I would like to see the Lincoln Memorial in D.C."_

Sarah decided to get some sleep. Chuck was going to be dead tired tomorrow going to Washington. He could sleep on the plane. She leaned over and turned off the bedside lamp.

September 11, Echo Park –Casey's apartment 11:15 pm

Casey had just turned out his light to head to bed when he got a text message from the moron.

 _"_ _Casey, this install is a bitch….I'll be here most of the night ….see you in the morning."_

Casey went to his monitor and called up the GPS tracker in Chuck's watch. He was at the Burbank Mall. He hadn't moved. Major John Casey had been in the spy business for a long time. He started to ask himself some questions. How long does it take to install servers? Bartowski is smart as hell, he usually works twice as fast as those other deadbeats. Why isn't this job already done?

Just to be sure Casey opened another program on his computer. He contacted the NSA satellite over the western USA and activated the YRT345 GPS tracker they had surgically implanted in Bartowski months ago.

Three seconds later Casey got a GPS coordinate that placed Bartowski in the Burbank Mall. Casey, pursed his lips. He still didn't feel totally at ease….. however, NSA technology didn't lie. Casey cancelled the 1am check he was going to do on Bartowski and reset his alarm for 6am. The moron better be home or on his way home by then or Casey would haul his sorry ass out of the Burbank Mall, install be damned. He headed off to his bedroom. Big day tomorrow.

September 12, 2008 Maison23 Room 832 – 4:30am

Sarah Walker was wide awake and staring at the ceiling. She was worried about Chuck. This was crazy for him to be working all night. Surely he must be finished by now. She went to her laptop and checked his tracker watch. Damn it. He's still at the Burbank Mall doing the install. Sarah got out of bed and dressed quickly. She'd go get him and drag him back to her place so he could get some sleep before the flight to Washington.

She sent a quick text to let him know she was coming. The reply text made her blood chill.

 _"_ _Sarah, this install is a bitch….I'll be here most of the night. Don't worry about me. I'm fine ….see you in the morning. I would like to see the Lincoln Memorial in D.C."_

September 12, 2008 Burbank Mall –Basement Server Room 5:15am

Casey and Sarah were standing in the server room taking in the scene laid out before them. They saw the clear garbage bag with all his clothes, wallet and GPS watch. When Sarah saw the blood she barely kept her professional mask on. Casey grabbed his phone and activated the NSA satellite signal. He couldn't believe the answer.

"Bartowski's subcutaneous tracker is apparently within 10 feet of us?" The smell in the room was really getting on Casey's nerves. Out loud he said, "Why the hell does this damn room smell like Thanksgiving dinner?"

Casey followed his nose. Bent over the server cage and pulled out the turkey breast that had been partially cooked on top of the server."

The penny finally dropped for both of them. Chuck hadn't been captured or kidnapped …..he'd gone on the run. Casey looked at Walker and saw a brief flash of relief and then she was all business.

"Casey why would Chuck go on the run? I mean there was absolutely no indication, no clue. I think he was slightly depressed but….. I mean, even the analysts back at Langley and Ft. Mead hadn't noticed anything. Why did he suddenly decide to go on the run?"

September 12, Castle - 6am

General Beckman's stern face filled the screen.

"You're both certain Bartowski has gone on the run?" They both nodded their heads.

"Do we know why he chose this moment to go on the run?" Sarah shook her head, no. Casey just looked straight ahead. Beckman caught the look and would talk with him later.

Beckman snapped out, "Where are his sister and her fiancé?"

Sarah responded, "They are both with Devon's parents in Sacramento. This happens once each month and is part of their established pattern. They do this trip like clockwork. It is in my report General."

"Major Casey, you're officially in charge of the search and recapture of the asset. You now have unlimited access to any NSA/ CIA resource. Find him. Once you've got him back, which should be fairly easy to do, he goes in a secured location.

"Agent Walker take the G5 and get up to Sacramento and talk to the sister and fiancé. Find out what they know and whether they were in any way involved. If you suspect they were involved take them into immediate custody. I'll sort things out with the local police and FBI after the fact. Dismissed."

Sarah looked at Casey and headed out to her Porsche and the airport.

When she was gone Beckman looked at Casey. "Major, did Agent Walker know about the asset going on the run or help the asset in any way?"

"General, I would say not. The look on her face when she saw the blood in the server room was one of complete surprise. She was shocked that he had bolted. She's the one who found out something was going on and called me right away."

"Major, why did the asset run? Do you know?"

"General, at this point I'm speculating and I have no evidence but….. what if somehow Bartowski knew about the termination order?"

"Impossible, that was issued over a secured and fully encrypted line. Find me Bartowski. Dismissed Major."

September 12, 2008 Sacramento –Woody & Honey Woodcomb's House – 11am

The unmarked black SUV pulled up in front of the spacious bungalow fronted by an immaculate lawn and garden. Sarah and two CIA agents got out. Sarah Walker hated what she was about to do. God Chuck, what have you done? Why didn't you let me know? Sarah had to do her job. Beckman and Casey were watching her every action closely.

She snapped out an order. "The two of you stay here. I'll call if I need you. We may have to take them into custody. Remember absolutely no guns. Tranq pistols only!"

Sarah could see Ellie standing in the bay window looking directly at her. Ellie broke eye contact and slowly closed the drapes. Sarah hadn't taken another step towards the front door before three SUV's, blue lights flashing came speeding up to the house. Nine FBI agents got out and formed a rough semi-circle around them. Their hands were resting on top of their holstered weapons. The Agent in Charge walked directly up to Sarah.

"Agent Walker, I'm AIC Mac Showers. Have your men stand down. Now! You have no authority to question, detain or arrest inside US borders. We however can and will arrest you." Sarah nodded to her men to stand down.

She quietly but with steel in her voice said, "AIC Showers if you value your job you will leave us alone. This is a matter of National Security and is way above your pay grade. Have your boss call General Diane Beckman, NSA….. before you make the worst mistake of your life."

Mac Showers smiled. "Agent Walker this may be above my pay grade, but it's you who needs to call your boss. I'll wait over there."

Sarah got Beckman on the line.

"Agent Walker, you will leave Ms. Bartowski and the Woodcomb family strictly alone. You will have no further contact with them. There will be no active or passive surveillance of any kind. Do you copy that Agent Walker?"

"Copy that General. May I ask what's going on?"

"I've just received a phone call from the President's Chief of Staff who was contacted by the Governor of California. I've also received a phone call from Senate Majority leader David Jenkins, strongly suggesting that if I want to keep my job, the Woodcombs and Ms. Bartowski are strictly off limits to the intelligence community. Get back to Castle and help Major Casey with the search for the asset."

What Beckman didn't tell Sarah was that one hour ago, the Director of the FBI and she had a gigantic pissing match with each other. Finally, they had reached an agreement. The FBI would participate in the search for Chuck Bartowski in exchange for the NSA/ CIA leaving Ms. Bartowski and the Woodcombs alone

September 14, 2008 Echo Park –Casey's apartment 9am

Casey had been awake for 24 hours straight coordinating the search for Bartowski. He was exhausted. He and Walker had both left Castle to grab three hours sleep, shower and change their clothes. So far, nada. Casey's mind couldn't stop racing through each possibility, trying to figure out what the moron's plan was. The fact that he had stayed off the radar so completely was interesting. Beginner's luck.

Casey always caught the person he set out to capture. Bartowski was a rank amateur. He would make a rookie mistake and they would pounce and have him trussed up and ready to be carried away into the bunker.

Four hours later Casey was rested and showered. He was just about to head back to Castle when there was a knock at the door. It was a FedEx delivery for Major John Casey.

There were two letters. They were both from Bartowski.

The first letter read:

 _To Major Casey, Agent Walker & General Beckman:_

 _By now you will have figured out I'm running away. I no longer wish to be the Intersect bird in the gilded cage. I know that General Beckman and Director Graham ordered my termination the evening the Beta Intersect went live. Graham's death changes nothing. Down the road on a date only known by General Beckman, my usefulness will end and then so will my life. Whatever time I have left on this Earth before you recapture me will be lived as a free man._

There was a second longer letter:

 _Dear Casey,_

 _This letter is meant for your eyes only. But you can show it to Beckman or keep it between you and me. Your call._

 _I never saw the termination order coming, at least not from you or Sarah. I should be used to having people betray my friendship and trust by now. Yeah Casey, I counted you as a friend._

 _In your report to Beckman you have written I'm good with computers. You may need to revise that information. I had cracked your surveillance systems months ago._ _I saw the recording of you getting the order from Beckman and Graham. Graham really was a nasty son of a bitch._

 _I've been doing some digging Alexander Coburn. You don't know this but you have a daughter. When you faked your own death, for the sake of the greater good, you left your fiancé in extremis. Kathleen was pregnant with your child. Her name is Alex by the way. Your secrets_ , _including this information_ , _are safe with me. I thought you would like to know._

 _I estimate that Beckman will soon put out another termination order on me. I also bet you are already in charge of trying to find me. What are you going to do? Hunt me down and kill me? I mean kill me because I don't want to passively wait around for Beckman to kill me at an hour and date of her own choosing.? No thanks._

 _Casey Winston Churchill once said:_

 _"_ _People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."_

 _There was a time I saw you as that rough man watching over citizens. But what happens when the rough man starts killing the innocent and peaceable people in their beds while they are sleeping? Casey_ , _you are an Annapolis graduate, I know you know what an unlawful order is and what your duty is as a Marine. Killing me is not only morally wrong it is unlawful. It is also unnecessary, I can think of three or four other solutions to killing me. But Beckman doesn't listen too well._

 _Instead of hunting me and killing me_ , _which is wrong_ , why _not do some good and go find your daughter Alex instead?_

 _Chuck_

Casey was standing up when he read the letter but he had to sit down. He had a daughter? How the hell did Bartowski know that? Where was she? How was Kathleen, after all these years? Casey read the letter again slowly. Casey sat there for another whole hour and reread the letter several times. He burned the second letter before he sped out the door and left for Castle.

September 14, 2008 Maison23 Room 832 – 9:30am

Sarah had just closed the door to her room. She was exhausted and heartsick at what was going on and what she was trapped into doing. Chuck was at risk without her to protect him. But now, if she caught up to Chuck he would be buried deep in an underground bunker. Or, she would have to go on the run with him.

The knock on her door startled her. She checked, it was a hotel porter with a FedEx delivery. There were two letters; the first one was exactly the same as the one Casey had received. The second letter read;

 _Dear Sarah_

 _I'm sorry I couldn't confide in you. Reviewing the recordings of Casey getting the termination order from Beckman and your boss Graham scared the hell out of me. Honestly, I don't know how you worked for that man. I hope that you knew nothing about the termination order. I don't think you did. It doesn't matter now._

 _This way you can honestly say to Beckman_ _you had no knowledge of my plans and didn't help me in any way. That means once everything settles down,_ _meaning I hope you don't find me,_ _you can go back to being the top spy in the CIA. No more babysitting the asset._

 _Meeting you, being near you and going on missions with you have been a life changer for me. I now look back and realize how desperately stupid it was to have wasted all those years feeling sorry for myself. The irony is that it was you Sarah Walker who woke me up and gave me the self-confidence to actually go on the run._

 _Leaving Ellie, Devon and Morgan will be the hardest thing I've ever done. Leaving you is beyond that, it is agonizing. You're incredibly perceptive and so you have to know I'm in love with you. Maybe that's why I found our cover relationship so maddening. When you were affectionate and loving towards me was it real?_ _When you were caring and protective on missions was it just the job? Honest to God, there were times I felt it, I believed it to be real._

 _I know that I'm going to be on my own. I'm going to be alone for long periods of time. I'm taking one of my favorite pictures of you and me together sitting on the couch. I've so many great memories of being with you. I hope those memories come to me in my dreams. I know I may never see you again._ _When I first met you, I had this sense that deep down you were not happy. My fondest wish for you is that you find happiness._

 _Sarah, always be safe. I will never forget you and I will always be in your debt for keeping me safe._

 _Love Chuck_

Sarah was sitting on the end of her bed as she read the letter. Unbidden tears started to drop one at a time onto the letter. Sarah was experiencing the deep pain that can come from daring to really love another human being. God Chuck, what have you done to me?

September 15, 2008 Castle – Castle 4:08 am

Casey and Sarah were standing in front of the monitor. Both of them were exhausted. General Diane Beckman was sitting at her desk wearing her service dress uniform and looking immaculate. Not a hair out of place.

"Major Casey, Agent Walker. I've just released the following order to all NSA/ CIA personnel. You have not managed to catch the asset in the last four days, which means statistically our chances of catching him have now dipped below 50%. I must assume that he is therefore tainted and damaged goods. We do not know who he has talked to or what he has said. Agent Larkin confirms that Fulcrum does not know he is the Intersect. However, they now want to capture him because we are showing so much interest in him.

I therefore have no alternative and have issued the following order."

 _To all NSA & CIA stations and field operatives:_

 _1299990RC –TNY September 15, 2008 12:08pm Zulu_

 _Subject: Asset –Charles Irving Bartowski_

 _Order: Locate/ Terminate, by Order Brigadier General D. Beckman, Director NSA_

 _Bartowski is former asset/ analyst/ hacker who escaped custody and is deemed a threat to National Security_.

Neither agent responded. Their faces were fixed and each looked back at the screen with a neutral gaze. Sarah needed every ounce of her training to cover the tumult that was churning inside her as she silently voiced, "Oh, Chuck, how can I protect you now?"

Casey finally spoke, "General, permission to speak freely."

Beckman narrowed her eyes. Her gut said, "say no", but she relented. "Granted."

"General, this is a huge mistake. I suggest we modify the order to say locate, observe and protect. We then get his sister to bring him in with Presidential assurance that he will not be put in a bunker and will not ever be on the receiving end of another termination order. Further, we have seriously underestimated Chuck and his abilities. We have never fully considered the impact of loading the Intersect into a brilliant mind and a gifted computer hacker."

Casey then stood at ease and waited.

"Major, by running the asset has committed treason against the US and endangered this country. The order stands."

"General, Chuck would never commit treason. He is running because the US government …because… I tried to kill him. Trying to stay alive when you have broken no laws is not a treasonous act."

There was steel in Beckman's tone. "That is quite enough Major. Follow your orders."

Casey walked over to the computer and pressed a button. "General, I have just sent a letter to USMC/HROM at the Pentagon resigning my commission, along with my retirement letter. I have copied you on both letters. Since I have been seconded to the NSA from the USMC, I have no direct contractual obligation to you. With my resignation, I am no longer in any military chain of command. In other words General, I quit."

 _A/N – Next up, more reconciliations between Chuck & Sarah in Minnesota and the confrontation with Beckman._


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N – So here we are, the confrontation with Beckman. I have tweaked the John Locke quote, changed a couple of he's to she's. It works better. I do appreciate your comments and reviews. A special note of thanks to michaelfmx, for Beta reading this chapter and for his helpful suggestions. The usual disclaimer, I don't own Chuck etc._

September 15, 2008 Castle – 4:30 am

Sarah was still reeling from Casey's sudden resignation. After Casey said he quit he came to attention one last time, did a parade perfect about face and walked up the stairs. Sarah hadn't moved a muscle, her face was a mask. Thank God for her training, because on the inside she was so proud of her partner. She wanted to run after him and give him a hug. However she didn't do that and it made her feel like a coward for not resigning right along with him.

It was at that precise moment that Sarah's idea sprang to mind. She needed to stay at the center of the manhunt for Chuck, if she was ever really going to find him and keep him safe. It was an enormously risky strategy. It all depended, it all came down to whether Chuck was as smart as she believed him to be.

If she was allowed to be in charge of the manhunt, she would have to do her level best to find him, otherwise, Beckman would smell a rat and sack her.

She said to herself _, "Chuck, I need your run plan to be brilliant. To be unorthodox. Because I'm going to do this search by the book. I won't leave any stone unturned. Let's hope the Intersect tells you what the book says I'm going to do."_

She had to give Beckman credit for being resilient. Beckman's moment of shock, when Casey dared challenge her and then quit, passed all too quickly.

"Agent Walker, are you prepared to do your duty?"

Sarah took a quick breath and steeled herself. The voice in her head shouted, _"Sarah, you need to sell this to Beckman, for Chuck's sake. Sell it!"_

Sarah looked directly into the screen and with a deadly tone said, "General, I want to lead the search and manhunt. The asset has played me for a fool. I've never failed to do my duty. You know my record. I have carried out every termination order given to me. I'm not sure why you went to Major Casey instead of me in the first place. The asset has committed treason. Bartowski is a dead man walking."

General Beckman heard the words and the tone. Sarah's vehemence surprised her. The General weighed her options. If she said no, she would lose Agent Walker's help; someone who knew the asset and had the best chance of catching him. If she said yes, two things might happen. One, Agent Walker was telling the truth and she would accomplish her mission. Two, Agent Walker was compromised and would sabotage the manhunt.

General Beckman smiled to herself. She would say yes but watch Agent Walker like a hawk.

September 21, 2008 Portland, Oregon

Chuck had just arrived at Dabney State Recreation Area. Last night was his first night camping out all on his own. It was certainly different. Chuck had never eaten freeze dried food before last night. Devon had warned him that it took some getting used to. Oh well, needs must, Chuck thought to himself. He still couldn't believe that he had to make sure he always had toilet paper in his pannier. Good Lord, there was certainly no glamour to being on the run.

He was meeting another guided cycling group that would take ten days to cross the Rockies ending up in Missoula Montana, 591 miles away. This trip would be more exacting and real test for him. He would gain 19,000 feet and then descend 16,000 feet over almost 600 miles.

The trip was costing Charles Conner $4,450. It was worth it. Once again there was van support and they would feed the riders and set up their tents. No hotels, or motels. Stay off the grid, which was the plan. So far he hadn't seen one police roadblock nor had he flashed. Devon had been correct, Chuck was hiding in plain sight.

Once he arrived in Missoula, he would head south, on his own. He eventually wanted to get to Las Cruces, New Mexico. There was no rush but he did have to stay ahead of winter. Winter's first icy fingers could now be felt in the evenings.

November 1st, 2008 Gallup, New Mexico 3:00pm

Chuck had stopped briefly to replenish his supplies, especially more propane for his little camp stove. He hadn't flashed since he had gone on the run. Two men in their thirties got out of a blue Ford F150. The man with the light brown hair and bright blue eyes caused him to flash.

Afterwards, Chuck shook his head and blinked. It was Altaf Hakim. The Intersect noted that he was used by Al Qaeda as an advance man. He was a mission planner and a scout. The two men went into the local Home Depot. Altaf and the other man didn't look out of place at all. Their clothes and mannerisms made them fit right in with everyone around them.

Chuck, without really thinking about it, placed a tracker under the bumper and cycled away. Chuck didn't want to get involved. It wasn't his fight anymore, but Altaf was listed as number 14 on the most wanted list according to the Intersect. Chuck took one of the two burner phones he had left. He used it to track Altaf's movements. In the next three hours he found that Altaf, along with one other man and a woman were staying in a small house on the edge of town.

If Chuck reported this to the authorities, it would bring a lot of unwanted attention to the area. It might be his final undoing. The burner cell phone had already been registered by the cell towers. The NSA would now have a record of the phone number and location. Chuck programmed the phone to go dormant, then in 48 hours send a text message to Sarah. Then go dormant again. The message would read:

"Very bad man. 35.5201,-108.7614".

He left the phone in a Ziploc bag in some bushes 400 yards from Altaf's home. Chuck hopped on his bike. For the next two days he cycled 10 hours each day to put as much distance as he could between him and Gallup, NM.

November 5, 2008 Gallup, New Mexico 9:00am

Agent Sarah Walker was resting against the silver tactical support van. She was in her black tactical clothes, wiping blood splatter off her face with a towel. Thanks to the anonymous text message she had received, they had identified Altaf Hakim at the coordinates sent to her. They placed Altaf under surveillance for an additional day. Then the take down team moved in.

The mission had been a success. They had grabbed Altaf alive. The twenty-five year old woman was wounded, she would live. The other man had drawn his gun to kill Sarah but Carina Miller had done her job, protected Sarah's back and taken him out.

Using three local cell towers as a base, the NSA had given Sarah a search area. It was a circle with a diameter of 200 yards where the text message had been transmitted from. The cell phone they were looking for was no longer active. The GPS had been disabled seconds after it had sent the text message to her.

Sarah, Carina and two other agents were walking the area looking for something, anything, maybe nothing. She had a hunch the cell phone was still there. Sarah was brushing back the bushes outside a bungalow, when she saw the cell phone in a Ziplock bag. Her immediate thought was "Chuck". Without drawing attention to herself she used her right foot to push a little mound of soft earth on top of the phone and pushed it down with her foot. She would come back later, by herself, and retrieve the cellphone.

The search went on for another two hours. Finally, all the agents agreed there was nothing to be found. Later, General Beckman asked point blank if Sarah thought the message was from the asset. Sarah told Beckman it most likely was. She would increase surveillance in the surrounding area immediately.

She called out to Carina. Sarah told Carina to spend the next four weeks in the New Mexico area. Sarah looked into her friend's eyes and said, "Find Bartowski for me. Remember Carina, don't harm him. I want him breathing. I have some… unfinished business with him. I am going to find out how he did this, one way or another. He is mine to deal with and to terminate."

Carina would never know how deeply her reply cut Sarah to the quick.

"Sarah, what on earth did Chuck do to piss you off? I mean we all have to do our job. I get that. If you have to terminate him then get it over with quickly. I have never seen you be so bitchy and hard ass. You have taken the term 'Ice Queen' to a whole new level. Why are you making this so personal? Shit, I actually thought you liked the guy at one time. Hell, he seemed like a decent enough guy to me. I mean the guy was captivated by you. That's why he turned me down when I was offering him a good time."

December 27th, 2008 Odessa, Texas

Nelson Marshall was a recent widower. His wife of 45 years, Jessie, had died eight months ago from cervical cancer. It had been Jessie's idea to start a bed & breakfast. What a joke Nelson thought.

It had taken Nelson five months and his sister-in-law, Susan's encouragement, to finally shake him out of his grieve and depression. He had decided he would open the B&B for business.

Chuck, not many days later, had cycled up to his front door and asked if he could stay for a month to rest up and get ready for the next leg of his journey. He admitted to Nelson that he was getting pretty tired with camping out. It was damn cold at night.

Nelson was about to turn him away and close the door when Chuck told him about raising some money for the American Cancer Society by cycling on behalf of his father who had died.

Christmas had been tough for Nelson. He missed his wife. Christmas had been miserable for Chuck, he missed Ellie, Devon and Morgan…and he had to admit he missed Sarah. Maybe Nelson sensed another lost soul, maybe he was just plain tired of being the only one rattling around in the house.

Nelson relented. "Put your bike around back in the shed. There is a little cottage out back where you can sleep. It has a microwave and coffee maker and a little desk. It ain't much but it's clean, comfy and reasonable. You can eat with me in the house. Chuck paid him up front for the entire month.

December 31, 2008 Maison23 Room 832 – 11:30pm

Sarah was sitting on her bed. She was wearing one of Chuck's t-shirts that she had grabbed from his room the week he had gone on the run. An important reminder of him, a way to stay connected. She missed his smile, his laugh, the way he looked at her. His look often left her wondering if Chuck was seeing past the many veils she had put in place to protect the most vulnerable bits of her.

She now had no one to talk to .

In times past she might have called Carina. But she couldn't even do that now. Carina had come back to Burbank from New Mexico in early December. She had made her report to Sarah and Beckman, that here was no sign of Chuck. Beckman had been disappointed in Carina for not finding at least a trace of his presence and had terminated the conference call with a snarled command. "Report back when you have something for me."

Two days later Carina had come up to Sarah's room to share a pizza. Carina had something on her mind and after they had ate she shared. "Sarah, I have called Director Jansen at the DEA and asked him for another assignment. I can't do this anymore. Something is weird about this whole manhunt for Chuck." Sarah had been surprised that Carina called him Chuck. Usually she called him Nerd boy or the geek.

Carina had continued "I don't usually question my orders. It goes with our training. Trust the bosses because they can see the big picture. Well, not this time. Chuck is no more a traitor than I am or you are. Bottom line is I don't want to be a part of this. Sarah, trust me on this, neither do you. Get as far away from this….this whatever it is…. as possible. You do not want Chuck's blood on your hands." Sarah looking back had wanted to confess to Carina what her real plan was but she didn't. Now she was truly on her own.

Tomorrow would be a day off for her and most of her team at Castle. General Beckman had ordered her team to stand down for New Year 's Day. Sarah wasn't looking forward to tomorrow. She was exhausted from all the subterfuge, the need to project one image to Beckman and her team at Castle, while hiding from everyone how desperate she was to know where he was.

She had lost four pounds since Chuck had gone on the run, mainly because she had lost her appetite. She now ate food as a necessity, as a means to inject calories into her tired body and keep it functioning. Beckman was watching her like a hawk, so Sarah couldn't afford to lose any more weight, she would have to eat more. Her first New Year's resolution.

Sarah watched the TV as the countdown began for the New Year to begin. She raised her glass of wine to the TV screen and softly said, "Happy New Year Chuck. Please be safe".

January 5, 2009 Odessa, Texas 10am

Nelson was sitting at the computer and muttering under his breath. Chuck was sitting at the kitchen table finishing his second cup of coffee. All of a sudden Nelson slapped his open palm on the desk and blurted out "You little….. gutter snipe. Stupid….son of a bitch. Why do you do this to me, every… single…. time…"

Chuck's eyebrows raised up slightly with the outburst. "What's wrong Nelson? Bad news? Is the world going to hell in a handcart?"

"No Charles, it's this no good, lousy piece of shit. It's slow as molasses and I keep losing my Wi-Fi connection. I have a mind to put a load of buckshot into it."

Chuck offered to take a look. An hour later Nelson couldn't believe the difference. The damn traitorous dog of a machine was working brilliantly. Nelson, with a big smile, looked over his shoulder at Chuck and said, "Charles you're a magician. It will be a two beer night with steak for dinner to celebrate the resurrection of my computer."

January 12, 2009 Odessa, Texas 11:30am

Chuck had eight computers, three cell phones, four laptops and one toaster arrayed all around him on the floor. Word had spread quickly. Nelson told his friend Joseph, who told his daughter Sally, who told her boyfriend Tyler about Charles the electronic magician.

Chuck made it simple for the folks bringing their electronics. He would look at the computer, laptop or phone. If it was worth fixing, he would fix it. No cards, no checks. It was cash on the barrelhead. If it needed parts, he wrote down on paper the parts they needed. They got the parts. Paid with their own money, brought the parts back and Chuck fixed it.

Chuck was very pleased with the arrangement. The cash coming in was a Godsend. His funds had shrunk down to a dangerous level. He had a lot of satisfied customers in Odessa. Word had gotten around.

As he was fixing a laptop loaded with viruses, he noticed the red and gold police car pull up in the driveway.

His heart sank when he recognized it as Sherriff Lopez's own car. The Sherriff got out and walked up to the front door. Nelson was out, so Chuck, with his heart hammering away in his chest, opened the door. He waited for the inevitable _….."Chuck Bartowski_ , _you're under arrest for high treason."_

Instead, Sherriff Lopez pulled an iPhone out of his jacket pocket and said, "I hear you're a whiz with anything electronic. I want to give this to my daughter for her birthday but I'll be damned if I can figure out how to set it up and get all the apps she keeps talking about."

Chuck took the phone and with his left hand gestured for the Sherriff to take a seat at the table. In ten minutes, with the Sherriff watching him closely, he completed the initial set up. "Sherriff Lopez, I can load the apps if you want. Give me an idea what your daughter likes, does she have some favorite music. It will help me figure out the apps she might want. I'll put some of my favorite apps on as well."

Thirty-five minutes later Chuck had the phone ready to go. He had taken a picture of the Sherriff and put it against his cell phone number as the number one favorite in his daughter's new phone. Sherriff Lopez was beaming and asked, "What do I owe you, Charles?"

"Sherriff, I tell you what, when I hit the road again in three, maybe four weeks, please keep an eye on Nelson. I'm going to miss him. I'm worried he might feel lonely, you know with no one in the house."

"Son, you don't have to ask. He won't say it to you but you've helped him through this rough patch, as have others. You know Charles, as far as I'm concerned, you'd be welcome to stick around. No need to rush off, hell with your knack with computers, you could open up your own little shop."

"Sir, I appreciate that very much, but I promised myself I would complete this ride. But who knows maybe someday, I'll be able to come back and visit."

January 13, 2009 Odessa, Texas - 2pm

The FedEx delivery was from Rigel. Chuck had written him a letter to an address they had agreed on before he went on the run. The arrangement was, if Chuck was going to be in an area for a month or more he would let Rigel know the address, always by snail mail.

Nelson was out at the American Legion Hall. The FedEx package contained a laptop, a watch and a yellow plastic case about the same size as a small laptop. When he opened the yellow case he realized it was a satellite uplink kit.

It took Chuck twenty minutes to get everything set up. The satellite link was finally established; he keyed in the encryption codes as indicated in the "yellow satcom box".

Chuck powered up the laptop, the message popped up …PUT THUMB PRINT HERE.

A message then appeared: PIRHANA….. PLEASE PUT THE WATCH ON. I CALL IT A GOVERNOR. IT IS VITAL YOU DO THIS FIRST, BEFORE I CAN CONTINUE.

Chuck put the watch on and typed in: **The watch is on Rigel**.

CONFIRM YOU ARE ALONE. AND WILL BE ALONE FOR THE NEXT HOUR. AND ARE SITTING DOWN.

 **Yes. Alone for next hour, I am sitting down.**

I WILL GIVE YOU TWO CODE WORDS. THIS WILL TRIGGER AN INTENSE FLASH. THE WATCH WILL REDUCE YOUR HEADACHE. SORRY, ONLY WAY TO TELL YOU MY STORY AND GIVE YOU FULL BACKGROUND, QUICKLY. WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME. OKAY?

Chuck took a big breath and touched the watch and then keyed in **"Okay."**

The next message read: PROJECT OMAHA, CODE WORD ORION.

Chuck had never experienced a cascading flash before. One massive flash after the other. It was incredibly intense. He knew he was going to have the mother of all headaches when it finally stopped. Ten minutes later Chuck was slumped in the chair. Gradually, he regained consciousness. He waited with clenched jaw for the massive headache to hammer him. Instead, it was just a mild throbbing he felt in his head, thank God. A flash like he just had should've left him flat on his back reaching for four Advil and headed for the washroom so he could puke.

As his eyes cleared, he saw the message.

CHARLES, IT'S ME, YOUR DAD. RIGEL AND ORION ARE ONE AND THE SAME. ENTER FOLLOWING CODE UKT573L4BQ.

Chuck was reeling from the flash, and the assimilation of the information he had just flashed on was flooding his conscious mind. His frontal lobe was now making the information part of his permanent memory. Question after question came to his lips. Through all of this swirling activity and bewilderment, he still managed to key in the words. Dad? My Dad?

The screen came to life and there in front of him was a real time view of his Dad. The man who left 17 years ago after promising to make pancakes for him and Ellie, but never came back.

"Son, I'm so sorry it has taken this long….to….I mean for us to lay eyes on each other….to talk…." Stephen Bartowski couldn't find the words, he couldn't say the words. Seeing his son like this. Seeing the man in front of him and not the boy he left standing in the kitchen.

All the years he had missed with Chuck and Ellie because of Project Omaha and the Intersect. The Intersect, the damn Intersect had cost him and his family far too much. He now knew that if he hadn't left them when he did the NSA/CIA would have used his children as test subjects for the Intersect. There was something about the Bartowski brain and the Intersect that just worked. He welled up and his eyes were moist.

Chuck was overwhelmed but his first question was "Why, I mean why, Dad?"

Now that Chuck had all the background on Project Omaha, now that he knew that his Dad was one of the creators, some of what Stephen told his son next made some sense. Chuck didn't forgive his father for running away. But his experience with the Beckman and Graham made him appreciate that Stephen was correct. He and Ellie would be bargaining chips and leverage used against their dad.

Stephen told Chuck that ultimately the Intersect was not benign. It would end up consuming the host's brain. The watch mitigated almost 97% of the potential damage and slowed it down. As soon as Stephen found out that Bryce Larkin had sent the Intersect to his son, his number one goal had been to find a way to get it out of Chuck's head.

Chuck better understood Stephen's reasons for leaving them. He now knew all about Project Omaha and about why his dad left. But inside Chuck, the young man was still an eleven year old boy who had been abandoned. Left waiting in the kitchen for pancakes that would never get made.

He and Ellie, left all alone, facing a scary world. At various points in the conversation with his dad Chuck's anger rose up within him and spilled out. He went after his dad with both guns blazing. Stephen listened and made no effort to defend himself. He felt that he deserved whatever Chuck had to say to him.

Stephen finally said, "Charles, the weather satellite I'm using to talk to you is moving out of range. It won't be back in this position for another two days. Call me back two days from now, same time. Son, I'm … I'm …..sorry….. more than you will ever know.

Later that evening

January 13, 2009 Odessa, Texas 8:15pm

Nelson and Chuck were standing beside each other at the kitchen sink. They were slowly cleaning up after dinner. Nelson couldn't help but notice how quiet Charles was. "Charles, you look like someone stole your puppy. I don't think I've ever seen you so down in the mouth."

Chuck stopped drying the dish he was holding. "I'm thinking about all the things that I didn't sort out…you know with my dad. Did I tell you that for a time he abandoned me and my sister? He left us on our own to face the world. I guess I'm still mad about that."

Nelson and Jessie didn't have any children. He didn't really know what to say. "Sounds like a pretty shitty thing to do to your kids. Before your dad died of lung cancer, did you ask him why? Did he give you any kind of reason, which might explain his behaviour?"

Chuck nodded his head. "Well, yes, looking back I understand his reasons much better. But I'm still pissed off at him. Today has been real tough for me. I keep thinking about all the family time we lost. The sheer and utter waste of it all."

Nelson put his hand on Chuck's shoulder. "Charles, whatever happened in your life before I met you is pretty much water under the bridge. I think you're a fine young man. So your father must have done something right before he ran off. Listen, just tell me to shut up if I'm talking out of turn here."

Chuck smiled at Nelson. "No, Nelson, I appreciate you listening to me. And you're correct, before he did leave us he was a super father. He is still the smartest man I've ever met. Anyway, let's get these dishes done. I've got some computers I still have to repair for Wendy McAdams, or she'll be giving me shit tomorrow morning."

January 15, 2009 Odessa, Texas 2pm

Chuck was set up and ready for Orion,….. his dad, to call. He was glad to have had the two days to work through his feelings of delight, and also anger, at being reconnected. He honestly thought he would never see his dad again. But he could easily slip into being very angry at his dad.

The information he now had locked into his memory about Project Omaha and the Intersect was helping him understand that his dad had good reasons to abandon him and Ellie. If Stephen Bartowski had stayed then, he and Ellie might well be in a mental hospital with their brains fried. They would have been victims of early testing of the Intersect. Chuck now knew that over 30 agents had volunteered or had been voluntold to be part of Project Omaha. They were either dead , in confinement or in a deep coma.

Suddenly the screen flickered and there was his dad. "Hi son, we have about two hours before the French satellite I'm using as a host goes out of range. How are you?" Stephen Bartowski fully expected Chuck to explode at him. He waited.

Chuck breathed slowly to calm himself. "Dad, if we weren't both on the run from the US Government I'd say we need to do this face to face. There is so much to say. I honestly don't know where to start.

"But we don't have the time. The NSA and CIA both want to capture you and bury you in a research bunker. So you can build another variant of the Intersect. Me, they want to interrogate, terminate and throw my body into a shallow unmarked grave. So let's work on the plan that Rigel….I mean you, and I discussed back in September 2008. It's our only hope.

The plan was to confront General Diane Beckman and get her to blink. Well, it was much more than a blink and it wasn't just the General. They needed to get the US Government to blink.

At first blush, it was no match. The 16 intelligence agencies in the US had a total budget of over $58 billion. The CIA and the NSA by far got the biggest chunks, at $13 and $9 billion. The two agencies together had over 65,000 employees. And thousands of highly trained and highly motivated agents, like Casey and Sarah.

Against all that were Chuck and his dad. Chuck had $9,000 in his bank account. And his bike of course. He had no clue what resources his dad had.

There were three things Chuck and Stephen did have going for them. First, both of them had the Intersect loaded into their brains; second they were both brilliant; and finally Orion was the best hacker in the world, bar none. Chuck knew he was one of the top ten hackers. But his dad was in a league of his own.

Stephen started, "Charles, make no mistake what this confrontation ultimately boils down to… It is about power or at least the perception of power."

Orion had already laid the groundwork for the confrontation. Thanks to Chuck's Intersect information on the satellites, Orion had gained silent entry into the NSA, CIA, FBI and DOD databases. For good measure he had accessed MI5 & MI6, Chinese and French intelligence databases. Orion had then loaded Chuck's improved Sentinel programs into each database. The Sentinels, watched, waited with infinite patience, sifted data and every so often reported what they had found to Orion.

Stephen Bartowski, for the next twenty minutes, laid out his plan and the work he still had to do. They agreed on a date for the confrontation, March 15, 2009.

Finally, Stephen finished talking. He waited for some sort of response from his son. Their lives, as well as Ellie, Devon and even Morgan's, depended on them winning what was shaping up to be a David vs Goliath type battle.

Chuck said, "Dad I'm a little rattled about the final piece. I mean I don't want to actually hurt someone. But it will certainly get everyone's attention."

"Son, remember what I said, the perception of power is what we are creating. We have to set up a scenario so that they won't dare call our bluff. Listen, I won't do anything unless you say we have a green light. Your call, son."

Chuck took a couple of minutes to go over the plan again. He wished there was another way but his dad was right. You don't get Goliath to negotiate with you if all he wants to do is kill you. You need to stop him in his tracks and maybe then he will listen.

"Okay dad. Green light. It's a go."

March 15 2009. Ft. Mead -"Ides of March" 08:45am

The days were a blur for Brigadier-General Diane Beckman. Her day started at 7am when she stepped out of her specially built Government SUV. It lasted until 8:30pm every evening, six days a week.

Syria was melting down, there were numerous insurgents in Iraq, plus there was Putin's increased posturing on the world stage. These had been the highlights of her day, thus far. Congress was not happy about the extra $1 Billion the NSA wanted in next year's budget. Tomorrow she would be up on the hill all day defending her turf.

But always in the back of her mind like a drip, drip, drip of an ancient Chinese water torture was the question, where is the Intersect?

She was tempted to call up Agent Walker and tear a strip off of her. Of course that wouldn't do either her or Agent Walker any good. She still had her lingering suspicions about Agent Walker. Whether her heart was fully invested in finding the Intersect but she couldn't fault her on her efforts to date.

Beckman had checked and double checked all of Agent Walker's actions while leading the manhunt. Everyone here and at Langley agreed it was a classic by the book manhunt. No stone left unturned. No one could find fault with Agent Walker's dedication, hard work and almost rabid desire to find, interrogate and terminate the Intersect. Agent Walker had convinced her that the original shoot on sight order needed to be amended.

Casey's resignation and refusal to look for the Intersect had taken her completely by surprise. It had seriously hampered the search. Major Casey had been on the edge of insubordination with her but had not crossed the line. She knew she was acting like an angry bear. A dozen or more agents and analysts had been fired or demoted. Any number of careers had been tarnished and side tracked because they hadn't performed to her standards or, for that matter, Agent Walker's.

General Beckman knew that the only reason she was still in her job was, irony of ironies….because of the past work of Team Intersect in Burbank. Team Intersect had done outstanding work on behalf of the Nation, she knew that. All the many successes had garnered her enormous goodwill with her bosses. A lot of that goodwill had now been used up because Bartowski had run away and managed against all expectations to stay hidden.

Three months ago she had reluctantly reduced the manhunt. There was a nation to protect and not enough dollars or manpower to keep up such a massive manhunt. She could only hope that Fulcrum didn't ever get their clutches on the Intersect.

The search team now consisted of Agent Walker and a dozen top analysts. Beckman had personally selected the analysts. Her instructions had been to pick analysts that were Nerds like Bartowski. Takes a Nerd to find a Nerd. God help her, she was picking up Bartowski's lingo.

If only she could get her hands on Ellie Bartowski, or her fiancé, Devon. The analysts agreed that the bearded elf Grimes would be a waste of time and knew nothing. At the moment the Woodcomb's were protected by their political connections. She would be patient and wait. Eventually, she might get her chance.

She could threaten Ms. Bartowski or her fiancé. Or threaten to put them in a bunker. That would bring Bartowski quickly back and into the fold. Once he surrendered she wouldn't terminate him. No, that would be a colossal waste. The only reason she had reinstated the termination order was to keep him out of Fulcrum's hands.

No, once Bartowski surrendered, she wouldn't allow Agent Walker to kill him. She would bury him deep in a dedicated and secure bunker. Ultimately, years later, once Fulcrum was defeated and the Intersect was removed from his head they might be able to release him.

She would not, however, shirk from her duty in treating Bartowski this way. It wasn't personal. It was a matter of National Security. Fulcrum must be defeated. If Bartowski served his country well, she would make his confinement as comfortable as possible. He would be rewarded for his compliance. She would grant him privileges. There was no need to be cruel or vindictive.

All of a sudden Diane Beckman's computer monitor cleared, then went black. A star field appeared, with the stars twinkling. From the far left a Galaxy class Starship appeared and moved across to the right side. Two seconds later, the screen cleared and a quote appeared in the middle of the screen.

 _Wherever law ends, tyranny begins, if the law be transgressed to another's harm; and whosoever in authority exceeds the power given her by the law, and makes use of the force she has under her command, to compass that upon the citizen, which the law allows not, ceases in that to be a magistrate; and, acting without authority, may be opposed, as any other person, who by force invades the right of another._

 _John Locke_

Then on the screen an avatar appeared that looked like Chuck Bartowski, down to his Nerd pocket protector and his curly brown hair.

The General Beckman heard, "General, did you study John Locke in your ethics course at the Air Force Academy? By the way, congratulations on finishing 44th in your graduating class. So, do you have a moment to chat? I hope I didn't get you at a bad time?"

Beckman sat up straight and actually looked surprised. She quickly recovered and said, "Mr. Bartowski, I don't suppose you're calling, to beg me to let you come back?"

Chuck's avatar smiled. "Well, if I did come back, what would happen to me?"

"Mr. Bartowski, I give you my word, that you won't be harmed. I will have Agent Walker personally bring you in."

"Would I be going back to Burbank, so I can be with my family?"

"I'm afraid not Mr. Bartowski, that didn't seem to work too well the first time. You will go into a secured facility. Where you'll be safe from Fulcrum. If you do what we ask of you, I could arrange for your sister to visit you."

Chuck smiled again. "Let me take that under advisement. But the real reason for my call, is to ask why you and Graham issued the original termination order? I didn't understand it then and after all this time, I still don't understand it."

Beckman shifted in her seat and leaned forward. "Mr. Bartowski, while regrettable, it was necessary. It would be a disaster for our country if the secrets in your head ever reached our enemies or Fulcrum. It wasn't personal."

Chuck hated when she said it wasn't personal. Chuck told himself to keep calm. "General, what savant idiot ever came up with the idea of putting all our secrets in one person's head? Thereby making it easy to capture the agent and then torture all the secrets out of him?

"Never mind. If there is so much risk of me being captured, why didn't Casey or Sarah just shoot me the first time I met them? Problem solved."

Beckman waited half a second. "Calculated risk vs. reward Mr. Bartowski. Until the Beta Intersect was built we decided to see what you and Agents Casey and Walker might accomplish. The results were more than satisfactory. And justified our decision."

"Before you go patting yourself on the back, General, that makes no logical sense. I was almost captured several times. If that had occurred all the reward would have been wiped out by the risk. All those precious secrets would have being stolen. General, I strongly suspect that ordering my death was more about bureaucratic expediency than National Security."

Beckman had grown tired of this. "Mr. Bartowski, this conversation is going to end. You have my proposal. We will capture you. I implore you to think not just about yourself, Mr. Bartowski, but think of your sister and her fiancé."

Chuck knew this moment would come. The veiled threat against his sister and Devon.

Chuck's tone was icy. "General, you're going to be sorry you involved my family. Please look at your screen."

Beckman's screen split into two. On the left, pictures of her husband, daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter appeared. Then pictures of where they lived. On the right was a list of seven contract killers that the NSA and CIA, as well as FSB had used for "black ops". The one thing in common with each name on the list was that once they accepted the money they went dark until they had completed their assignment.

General Beckman let out a gasp. She immediately grasped what was being alluded to. Her face changed and was full of fury. "Bartowski, I will fucking kill you myself, if you go near my family."

"General, you are already trying to kill me and, as far as I know, you'll hurt my family too. I have nothing to lose, neither do they."

Both Beckman and Chuck were silent. A whole minute passed, then another minute. Chuck had Beckman's attention now.

Finally the screen cleared and the quote from John Locke reappeared.

Chuck and his dad had agreed on what he was going to say next, months ago.

The screen cleared and Chuck's avatar was back.

"General Beckman, your family is safe. We would never harm your family, no matter what, they will never be used as a bargaining chip. Even with all the information you have about me. Even after your army of psychologists and psychiatrist have analyzed me half to death, you really don't know who I am."

General Beckman slowly regained her composure. She sat back slowly in her chair. As she straightened her uniform jacket and folded her hands in front of her desk, she quietly said, "Point made."

All too soon General Beckman was striving for control of the situation. "Mr. Bartowski, I suggest you take my offer. That's the best you can hope for. I'm sorry fate has dealt you such a lousy hand. But once Agent Larkin sent you the Intersect your fate was sealed. Work with us, help us defeat Fulcrum and I promise we'll make your life as comfortable as possible. Now Mr. Bartowski, this call is ended over."

Beckman went to leave her office but she found the door was locked. She wheeled around and leaned into the monitor. "Mr. Bartowski, is this your doing?"

"General, apparently someone called in a terrorist threat. It is deemed to be credible. So your building is now on lock down for the next, oh, I imagine, thirty minutes. The electronic locks on your door automatically close when there is a lockdown."

Beckman sat back down. "Mr. Bartowski, I imagine you think you're quite smart. I have 1,000 people working for me who are smarter than you. I'll soon be out of here."

Chuck couldn't resist trading barbs with her. "Actually General, based on reviewing the 38,459 personnel files for the NSA, I would put that number at 950. However, on closer examination carried out by us, 925 are not quite as smart as me. There are 20 who are as smart as me. That leaves 5 who are truly smarter. But thanks to your bureaucracy, those 5 people are all in dead end jobs and their potential is unlikely to be fully realized." Chuck's avatar gave the General a smile.

Beckman didn't show just how nervous she was starting to feel. Is it possible that he actually knows that information? Has Bartowski, penetrated the NSA's secure databases? Why does he say us?

"Mr. Bartowski, you say us but I see only you. No matter how smart you are, you are alone, fighting a losing battle. You have nothing to negotiate with."

At that precise moment Beckman's screen divided in half. There beside Chuck's avatar was a live stream of Stephen Bartowski. His first words were, "Hi Diane, I hear you've been looking for me."

 _A/N – I don't like cliff hangers anymore than you do, alas, the Chapter was getting too long. Next chapter is well on the way. Hope to post by the end of July. Next up, more of the confrontation with Beckman. Sarah has to go to Washington. And we will go back to Minnesota for more Chuck and Sarah. I think this is going to go beyond 8 chapters, possibly 9 plus an epilogue._


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N – The confrontation continues. For those ex navy folk, apologies in advance if my nautical jargon is not up to par. A special note of thanks to michaelfmx, Beta reader for this chapter and for his thoughtful suggestions._

Chapter 8

 _At that moment, Beckman's monitor split in half. There, beside Chuck's avatar, was a livestream of Stephen Bartowski. His first words were, "Hi Diane, I hear you've been looking for me._

Beckman could not hide her surprise. This time she said out loud,"Orion…Stephen Bartowski….. what are you doing here?"

"Why Diane, I'm helping my son, that's what fathers do."

Beckman's shock registered on her face. Chuck and Stephen could see her fighting hard to regain her composure. And all too quickly she managed to do just that.

In a calm voice she said, "Stephen you and your son need to give yourselves up. We can protect you from Fulcrum and the foreign intelligence agencies; even as we speak they are looking for you both. I promise we can work out an agreeable arrangement." Beckman was working out the angles, coming up with a strategy that might allow her to get both Bartowski's into the NSA's orbit and control. She now wanted to keep them both on line and talking. Her technical people were the best and were working on a trace.

Stephen's face showed his skepticism, "Diane, you ordered my son, Mary's son, to be terminated. I don't think leopards change their spots that easily or quickly. Do you?"

Beckman came back with, "It was Langston Graham who ordered the termination order. I went along with it but I now admit it was a mistake. Chuck is now our most valuable asset. If you joined us Stephen, we could easily defeat Fulcrum in six months. Think of your country. It needs you."

Stephen and Chuck's avatars were both shaking their heads. "Diane, you have a huge credibility problem with the Bartowski's. I'm glad that Mary isn't here to see one of her friends from the old days, hell bent on incarcerating us at best and having us terminated at worst."

At the mention of Mary and their past friendship Beckman did have the good grace to look a little taken back.

"Diane, we don't have a lot of time to chat with you. Oh, by the way, your technical people were told, by you, not to trace this call. You sent them an email, oh…I'd say about thirty minutes ago". Beckman visage at this point sagged because she believed Stephen could actually pull that particular stunt off.

Chuck took over, "General let's put our cards on the table. We've just sent you a one-page document. This document will be called henceforth, the "Beckman Doctrine".

"We're going to make you famous General. Your colleagues in the intelligence community will long remember the name of Brigadier General Diane Beckman. You are going to be the person who brings back legitimate Senate oversight, accountability and puts the checks and balances back in place to monitor the NSA and the CIA".

Beckman got up and walked over to her printer and grabbed the one page document. The flush of red started at her starched white collar and spread up her cheeks as she read it. She turned to look at her monitor with a look of disbelief, then reread the "Beckman Doctrine".

Finally she blurted out. "I won't be a party to this….to this….travesty. With this document, the two of you will set back security in this country ten years. You have no idea, the threats we face….daily. We need more latitude in our operations… not less….can't you possibly see that?"

Chuck couldn't hold back, "You mean the latitude to terminate who you want, when you want to?"

Beckman went back to her desk, sat down, and carefully placed the single piece of paper to her left, as if it was a poisonous snake that might bite her.

She squared her shoulders and stared into the camera lens. The tone in her voice was almost nonchalant, "Well, I must say I'm a little disappointed in the Bartowskis. You're making these ridiculous demands and, as far as I can see, there is no earthly reason why I or the government should do anything you ask or demand. I urge you, once again, to come back into our care and protection."

Stephen said, "I told you Charles, very smart but very stubborn. Diane, our sentinel programs have been inserted into every key database in the intelligence community. They watch and they wait. They won't interfere with your systems and the important work you do. That is…unless…. the Beckman Doctrine isn't put into effect in the next seven months. Seven months should allow you enough time to convince the Joint Chiefs of Staff and, of course, the Whitehouse to adopt the Beckman Doctrine.

Chuck jumped back into the conversation, "Every programmer in Washington can look for the sentinels in your databases. I estimate you will find most of them in three years. However, you only have 7 months. It's a race you can't win."

Beckman had weathered many storms getting to the top. She had flown in combat. She wasn't going to fold to idle threats. Stephen and Chuck already knew that; Beckman and the whole government needed some proof that the Bartowskis needed to be taken seriously. As Stephen told Chuck it all came down to power. More importantly it came down to the perception of power.

Stephen spoke next, "General, it is now 9:25am. In about 1 minute an incident is going to occur. No one will be hurt. But our relationship with one of our key allies is going to be seriously strained. When you're talking to Admiral Turner, Chief of Naval Operations, tell him you heard it here first. Remember, this was engineered by our sentinels. The sentinels are everywhere and they're nowhere.

"Oh, one more thing, before my son and I leave you in peace. The sentinels are no longer controlled by us. We can't deprogram them. So please give up on the idea you can force us to deprogram them. Whether we live or die, the sentinels will do what we have programmed them to do. They have a very limited AI capability. They hate being tampered with, by anyone, so be careful.

"The sentinels are looking for you to implement the Beckman Doctrine. Oh, yes, one more tiny thing. I forgot to tell you this, the sentinels will not take it kindly, if something…actually, I mean anything, happens to Ellie, Devon, Morgan, my son or me. Remember, to call Admiral Turner. Bye Diane."

General Beckman heard the electronic lock on her door release and her monitor cleared and then showed the NSA logo. She ran to the door and shouted to one of her assistants, "Get me Admiral Turner, now!"

March 15th, 2009- Aboard USS Winston Churchill (DDG-81) GPS (36.075, -8.8502) 2:25pm

The USS Winston Churchill was located 100 miles, or 160 kilometers, from the Pillars of Hercules and Cape Trafalgar. Churchill was an Arleigh Burke class, Aegis guided missile destroyer. She cost the US taxpayer over a billion dollars to build and she was unique in two ways.

The Churchill was the only vessel in the US Navy to have a Royal Navy Officer permanently assigned to the ship's company. She was also the only ship in the US Navy that was permitted to fly a foreign naval ensign, the white Royal Navy ensign always flies beside the Stars and Stripes.

Commander Owen Aubrey, RN, had been on the Churchill for two months. He was the fourth generation in his family to serve in the Royal Navy. In another month he would rotate off the Churchill and was slated to take command of HMS Daring, the newest Type 45 frigate coming into service with the Royal Navy.

At the present time, on the ship's roster, Owen's rank was shown as Lt.-Commander in deference to the Captain of the Churchill, Commander William F. Boyd. Owen, on this rotation, was serving as the weapons officer. He was very concerned that the test firing tomorrow went flawlessly.

The crew was already on a heightened state of readiness because tomorrow was going to be a big day. Tomorrow morning at first light, two Admirals were due to come on board by helicopter. One American and one British would be there to observe firsthand the test firing of the Tomahawks.

The Churchill would test fire the newest variant of the Tomahawk Cruise Missile deep into the vast and empty Sahara desert. Britain was extremely interested in buying the newest variant of the Tomahawk. Due to the possible $1 billion dollar purchase by the Brits, it had been decided by the Defense Department that the Churchill would be the ship assigned to run the test.

Today they would carry out a "dry run" exercise. Everything would run as if they were actually going to fire the missiles. There were two firing keys, one with the Captain and one with the weapons officer, Owen Aubrey. Since it was a dry run they would both insert the firing keys but they would not turn them to the right to activate the weapons systems.

"Captain on deck!" was snapped out by Ensign Jackson as Captain William Boyd came into the Combat Information Centre (CIC). In time of battle, in the modern navy, this is where the Captain would always be found; CIC was where he would fight his ship. The Executive Officer (XO) had the con and was on the bridge.

Everyone waited; they all knew what was coming. Five seconds later, an alert message was received from the satellite sitting in geosynchronous orbit over Europe. The Captain called out, "Sound General Quarters." Klaxons sounded throughout the ship. The ship's gas/turbine engines went to full speed. And over in the corner, the printers pushed out two decoded copies of the fire order. Printed in bold letters at the top was THIS IS A DRILL….THIS IS A DRILL.

US Navy Satellite – Epsilon 7F -22,000 miles above the earth

Unknown to the Captain and crew of the USS Churchill and, more importantly, to the Department of Defense was that Stephen Bartowski had just carried out an electronic sleight of hand. Just like a magician focuses your attention away from what he wants you to see. Stephen and Chuck wanted everyone to believe the sentinels had engineered what was to follow. The fact that this test was being carried out was public knowledge. The sentinels had given Stephen the exact time when the dry run test order would be sent and by which satellite.

Stephen, Chuck and the sentinels could never break the encryption codes that were being used. That was beyond even their abilities. The sentinels had know in advance what the three targets in the Sahara were. That allowed them to crack and re-encode the GPS coordinates in the fire order.

What no one would notice, until long after the event, was the 35 millisecond delay in the uplink message from the National Command Center to the Satellite and the downlink message to the USS Churchill. Orion….Stephen… in that short time made an exact copy of the original coded message and then substituted the new encoded GPS coordinates. Then, he sent the order down to the ship. Chuck, through the Intersect, had given Rigel….Stephen, the schematics and access protocols for the US satellites.

USS Churchill

The printouts of the fire order, along with two blue colored cards, were handed to the Captain and the Weapons Officer, Owen. They both broke the blue cards at the same time and opened them, revealing a code group of letters that matched the code printed out on the fire order. The Captain spoke first. "Code confirms this is a valid fire order. This is a Drill."

Owen Aubrey looked at his code and then what was printed on the fire order. The codes matched exactly. He was about to acknowledge the order and insert his firing key. But he noticed the GPS coordinates.

Target 1; 55.531N; 3.1889W

Target 2; 54.966N; 1.6000W

Target 3; 51.507N; .12750W

He blinked in disbelief and felt a deadly chill go through him. His mouth was partially open as if he was going to speak. No words came out. He slowly shifted his eyes to look at the Captain. Owen was now placed in the most exquisite of dilemmas; did, he do his duty as a respected member of the crew and serve this ship or did he do his duty as a Royal Navy Officer. "Captain, I regret that I cannot carry out this order. Nor can I participate in this drill any longer."

He turned to Master Chief Morales, the Master at Arms aboard the Churchill and handed him his firing key. Then he said, "Master Chief, I think you had better escort me to my quarters and place a guard outside."

The Captain looked down again at the fire order and looked more carefully at the GPS coordinates. He now understood Owen's dilemma, "Master Chief, belay that last order."

Then he turned to the twenty officers and men in the CIC. "Gentlemen, this drill is terminated. secure the ship from General Quarters. Set Condition 4 throughout the ship.

"Lt-Commander Aubrey, please come with me."

As they walked out of CIC together, the Captain snapped out one final order, "Chief Rankin, get me Vice-Admiral Spencer, 6th Fleet, on a secure line and put it through to my quarters." Captain Boyd would rather have sailed into a hurricane than go through the shit storm that was now headed his way.

Petty Officer Angus Ball, back in CIC, was locking up the fire orders in the safe when he noticed the GPS coordinates. His mother was a Scot, that's why he recognized that Target 1 was Edinburgh, Target 2 was Newcastle and 3 was London. He mumbled out loud to no one in particular, "FUBAR."

March 15, 2009 Ft. Mead Office of the Director NSA

The following order was sent out from the NSA Director's office to all NSA/ CIA / FBI offices

14853310RC –TNY - March 15, 2009 11:pm Zulu

Subject: Asset –Charles Irving Bartowski

Order: Locate/ Report/ Protect- by Order Brigadier General D. Beckman, Director NSA.

Bartowski is considered an important asset/analyst who is deemed essential to our National Security. Report his location to Agent Sarah Walker. Do not interfere with Mr. Bartowski in any way. Observe his movements, protect him if necessary and wait for further orders from Agent Walker.

March 16, 2009 – 6pm - Dateline: Washington D.C.

"Diplomats in Washington have expressed mild surprise at the sudden recall of the British Ambassador, Sir George Eden, KCMG, LVO. The ambassador was recalled by the Foreign Secretary, for what is being called "consultations". In a communiqué from Whitehall, the Foreign Secretary said, "No one should read too much into this action. Our relations with the United States continue to be strong."

The State Department's communiqué released two hours later, stated: "The recall of the British Ambassador is not a cause for concern. Relations with the United Kingdom continue to be strong."

October 2009- Roy & Bandt Mitchell's Farm - 10 miles south of Worthington, Minnesota

Sarah opened the back door and came down the steps, she was wearing one of Chuck's plaid work shirts and pair of Bandt's denim overalls. She threw another plaid shirt and a pair of denim overalls to Chuck, for him to put on. As Chuck caught them he nodded his head towards the red wagon sitting just inside the mow of the barn. The wagon carried 120 small bales of hay, each weighing between 40 and 50 pounds.

Chuck was putting on the plaid shirt and overalls and smiling at her. "Sarah, I'm guessing, with all the travelling you've been doing over the last couple of days, you haven't had much of a chance to work out. Last night you said you were seven time zones out of synch."

Sarah said, "Chuck, Agent Sarah Walker is in Spain at the moment resting up and recovering from trying to find you. Beckman approved of me taking two weeks off. I also have her permission to be off the grid for the next eight days." Chuck said, "If Agent Sarah Walker is in Spain resting up….you are…. who exactly?" That earned Chuck a smile. She held out her hand and said, "Hello Charles Conner, my name is Mrs. Sarah Campbell."

Chuck had a curious look on his face. "So, may I ask where Mr. Campbell is?" That earned him a laugh. Sarah deflected, "Chuck, you were saying something about me getting a work out?"

Sarah was giving Chuck a suspicious look as she caught on to what he was up to.

Chuck went over to Sarah and buttoned her shirtsleeve cuffs and made sure the top button on her shirt was done up. "You'll thank me later that your arms and legs are all covered up. Hay is not kind to the skin. We need to move these bales off the wagon and stack them in the barn, because they're calling for rain tomorrow. So what do you say to… a little contest?" Chuck gave her a saucy grin and said, "If you're still jet lagged, not to worry, I'll do the bulk of the lifting. You can take it easy."

Sarah never passed up a competition. Once the gauntlet was thrown, she would always pick it up. "Okay….. you're on, but what do I win when I totally beat your ass…. farm boy."

Chuck already knew what he wanted, "If you win, tonight, I will give you a patented Bartowski massage. But, if I win then you have to give me the (a) massage and…. that…..that… thing you did this morning." Even as he was saying it, Sarah could see him start to blush.

Sarah gave a quick laugh, gently pushed him back and ran to the wagon. She easily handled one of the bales and headed to the barn. Chuck was hot on her heels.

Roy was sitting on the porch watching the competition when Bandt came out with some coffee and scones. Roy shook his head and said, "Well, can you beat that, she's giving Charles a run for his money. She certainly isn't some fragile, fair city flower. Hmmm, beauty and strength, no wonder Charles is crazy about her. What do you think of her Bandt?" Bandt put a scone on her plate brushed some crumbs from her hands and said, "Roy, there's a lot more there than meets the eye. She's deep waters that one. I think there's hardness, some steel beneath the beauty. I'm not sure if I've got her full measure, you know as a person, but I've no doubt she is completely in love with Charles."

For the next 55 minutes, Chuck and Sarah lifted, grunted and raced each other to see who could lift more bales and get them stacked in the barn. By the time they were done, the two of them had shifted 5,400 pounds of hay. Chuck had won their hay bale competition. At first, Sarah had been a little pissed that she had lost. Chuck smiled to himself because a year ago Sarah would've easily beaten him. Not now. When Chuck went over to give her a hug she whispered in his ear, "Chuck I really wanted to give you that massage tonight…. and ….yes…..I will do that thing you really like, so… I… let you win." Then she gave him a quick kiss and went into the house to change.

Two hours later Chuck and Sarah were both riding their bikes headed for a special place Chuck had found. It wasn't his spot on the beach in Burbank but Chuck loved it almost as much. He very much wanted to share it with Sarah.

They were riding side by side. Chuck was impressed with Sarah's touring bike, a Thorn Sherpa with ortlieb panniers, shimano HG80 gears and dura ace shifters but he wasn't envious; his Trek 520 and his brook's saddle had never let him down.

"So Sarah, how did you choose this particular bike?"

"Chuck, I didn't. When I arrived in Milwaukee I went straight to a high end bike shop, played the helpless wife who was going cycle touring with her husband and said price was no object. For some strange reason I can't fathom, I have this powerful effect on men." She looked at him and batted her eye lashes and laughed.

"The manager and his two assistants fell over themselves to help me. So what you see before you is their choice. I haven't been on a bike since I was twelve, but I think I might grow to like it."

Another mile down the road Chuck said, "So where do I stand with Beckman?"

Sarah gave him a quick glance and said, "Well, as you know, at first there was a shoot on sight termination order. I managed to convince Beckman to change the order to hold you until I could interrogate you and …" Sarah stopped speaking. She didn't even want to say the words.

They had gone another eighth of a mile on their bikes before Sarah could continue.

"Anyways, something happened around the middle of March. All of a sudden a new order was issued by Beckman, to protect you and not interfere with you. Agents and law enforcement were to notify me … …Agent Sarah Walker, about your whereabouts. There was literally no explanation for the change. A week after the change we had a conference call, and I delicately sidled up to the topic, _"General Beckman_ , _I was curious about the change…"_ Beckman never let me finish. She cut me off at the knees and that was that.

Sarah glanced over at Chuck as he rode beside her. She caught the beginning of a smile playing at the edges of Chuck's mouth. "Chuck, do you know what happened in March that caused the change?"

Chuck nodded and said, "I might….but listen….please… finish your story and I will tell you my story."

Sarah continued, "About a month later, April 15, I think, out of the blue Beckman contacts me. She tells me I need to be in her office at Ft. Mead at 0800 hours the next morning for a formal interview and to dress appropriately and conservatively.

"I was outside her office at exactly 07:58 and the first words out of her mouth were, 'Don't sit down Agent Walker, we have a helicopter to catch.' We were then driven to a waiting Sea King that looked very familiar and we headed towards Washington. Beckman told me on the intercom system in the Helicopter we were going to the White House.

"I didn't know what the hell was going on so I just nodded my head. Once we landed we were immediately taken to the Oval Office. I recognized one of the secret service guys on the President's detail from the year I spent working with the secret service. The President, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the National Security Advisor were sitting on the couch talking. I was introduced to them by Beckman and they shook my hand and we all sat down."

At this point in Sarah's story Chuck indicated that they were at his special place. They stopped their bikes grabbed their panniers and walked into a little meadow that was dominated by a 100-year old black walnut tree. Chuck took a blanket out of his pannier and the lunch that Bandt had made for them. They both sat down with their backs resting against the old oak. Chuck said, "So you're with the President in the Oval Office."

Sarah grabbed her water bottle and took a big drink and continued.

"I was sitting on a couch beside Beckman and the National Security Advisor opened a folder that contained a Presidential Directive to Homeland Security, NSA, CIA & DOD. I was handed a copy and told to read it.

"The directive said that, henceforth, no Termination Order could be issued on Mr. Charles "Chuck" Irving Bartowski. Further, that Mr. Bartowski, if he was willing to work with the Government in the future would be fairly compensated. He was to be thanked and properly compensated for past services. After I finished reading the directive, the President signed six copies. The National Security Advisor kept four copies, Beckman took one and I was handed one copy. We shook hands and, ten minutes later, I was back on board Marine Two, headed back to Ft. Mead.

"When we finally got back to Beckman's office at Ft. Mead, her assistant came in with two cups of coffee. There was this long silence as we sat across from each other sipping our coffee. Beckman looked me straight in the eye and told me that she needs Chuck Bartowski back helping the NSA. She told me that everyone, especially her, has underestimated what you, and what she calls Team Bartowski, has accomplished and brought to the game.

"Beckman then told me that the only way to gain your trust is for her to gain my trust. The whole flying to the White House and the Presidential Directive was step number one in making me trust her.

"She then opened a drawer and pulled out a CIA file with three red stripes, with eyes only written all over it. She pushed the file over to me and told me it was a "private file" they found in Langston Graham's cabin in the Shenandoah Valley, after his death. Only three people know of its existence, her, Vince Gillman, the new CIA director, and me. She swears to me on her honor as an officer the file has not been copied.

"Beckman told me that was Langston's personal file on 'Agent Sarah Walker' going back to when I was fifteen years old. Beckman then got up and said she had a meeting and would return in an hour. Just before Beckman left me alone in her office, she moved to the shredder and switched it on."

Sarah stopped talking and turned her head away from Chuck and stared out over the fields. The silence was deafening. Chuck very softly said, "…Sarah…..Sarah…"

Ever so slowly, Sarah turned her head and looked at Chuck. "Chuck, how do you think you would go about taking a 17-year old high school girl and turn her into the top CIA field agent and Langston Graham's wild card enforcer?"

Chuck's mouth had gone dry. He shrugged his shoulders to say, "I don't have a clue." He wasn't sure where this was heading. He had never seen Sarah like this before. Physically, she was here in the meadow but in every other sense she was detached. She was here with him but she was also back in Beckman's office looking at the file.

Sarah continued, "Langston Graham knew how to do it. Oh, mind you he had a lot of help. My poor father, he had no idea that all he had taught me… all the cons, all the tricks, were leading me down a horrible road. He had laid the groundwork for what was to follow. When I met Graham for the first time, I had a very shaky moral compass. Graham knew that and he used it." Sarah once again paused and collected herself and her thoughts.

Chuck was frightened for Sarah. He was frightened for them. In a gentle voice he said, "Sarah, are you okay? Is there something I can do…I mean if you don't want to talk about this …you know….maybe …..another time?"

Sarah gave Chuck the saddest smile he had ever seen. "Chuck, I need to tell you this. I don't want to tell you. But I have to. Otherwise you'll never really know me. I'm tired of the lies. I'm so weary being alone in this world with no one to trust. Chuck can you do this for me? Can you bear to hear all this? I'll stop if you want me to."

Sarah was waiting for Chuck to back off, to deflect, to defer, to talk about something else. She could feel his dread for what was about to come. Who could blame him?

Chuck sensed he was at this fork in the road with Sarah. A wrong decision and they would never really get together. The trouble was he didn't know which fork in the road to take. All he knew was that it was important for Sarah that she tell this story. So he looked at her and said, "I want to hear this."

Sarah looked at Chuck and realized she had never been so scared in her life. Would it even be possible that he would still want to be with her when she was done? She made eye contact with him and tentatively said, "Can you hold me while I tell you about the file? I need to be held; otherwise I don't think I will get through this."

Chuck opened his arms to her and Sarah leaned into him. "Chuck, Graham had kept a file about me. It was in chronological order. It started with Jenny Burton in San Diego. When I joined the CIA Graham had me evaluated. A detailed psychological profile was prepared on a 17-year old girl who was already a hardened con artist. Using this information Graham, with advice from experts, slowly shaped me into who I became….. just before I met you.

"Every piece of CIA training, each mission was meticulously planned. Graham also took it slowly. Along the way he was shaping my new 'moral compass'. I learned about duty and serving the greater good. Trust your instructors, trust your supervisors and your handlers. Above all follow orders. And above even that, follow Langston Graham's orders. In the end, loyalty to Graham trumped your loyalty to the Country and the Constitution. Looking back, I think he actually believed what he wanted was what was best for the Country.

"Then, in 2005, he set up my Red Test. Chuck, that's where you're assigned to kill someone in cold blood. It's a final test to see if you have the right stuff. To see if you've got a killer instinct." Sarah was waiting for Chuck to push her away, to start talking. Nothing, he kept holding her… She was relieved and pressed on.

"Chuck it was all in the file, each mission, each target. There were photos of my assassination targets. Graham's notations were written directly onto the photos.. …good girl….nice shot…..excellent work….that will teach that bastard. Chuck, at first the people I killed were truly reprehensible people. They were beyond the pale. I could justify my actions. I still believe the world is a better place that they are gone. I don't have nightmares about those people.

"But Graham sent me after other people, fellow agents who had gone rogue…at least according to Graham. Finally he sent me after some of his rivals. He was clever; he papered the trail. Based on the evidence he manufactured he got termination orders approved. I was his enforcer. God help me and God help those people he sent me after. Chuck...these are the people….I see in my dreams, in my nightmares. I see the look on their faces…..the blood on my hands. Deep down, even though the files were complete and these were fully sanctioned missions, I think I knew that what I was doing was wrong.

"I read the whole file and then shredded the entire file cursing Graham's name and damning him to hell for what he had done to me, what he had made me. Chuck, I didn't cry in Beckman's office, I focused on my anger and hate for what he had done to me.

"I was sitting down and appeared calm and collected when Beckman came back from her meeting. She looked at me, then at the empty file and walked over to switch off the shredder.

Beckman then sat down. "Agent Walker….. Sarah, I have gone as far as I can to convince you that I do not want to harm Chuck, his family or you. I have shared these two acts of 'good faith' with you in the hopes that you can relay them to Chuck when you finally find him. It is my belief that if anyone can find him, it is you. Use every resource we have to find him.

When you do find him tell him this, "The Beckman Doctrine has been put in place just as you asked."

"Also, tell him I still need his help, our Country needs his unique abilities. Finally, here is something else to tell him. Going forward you and Chuck need to tell me what you want your relationship to be, strictly professional or more than that. I'll leave that to the both of you to decide.

I am willing to bend the rules to get Team Bartowski up and running again. Agent Walker, I still expect you to do your job and find Chuck, so we can make sure he is safe. You have my private number, call me when you find him, you're dismissed. A plane is waiting to take you back to Burbank …it leaves in an hour.""

Sarah stopped and said, "Chuck, when she showed me Graham's file and for the whole time….I didn't ….cry …in….Beckman's office…but…but….. I wanted …"

Maybe it was because Sarah felt Chuck's arm around her, or maybe it was because she felt or sensed deep within her subconscious that Chuck loved her and wouldn't push her away. Sarah had finally pulled aside the curtain. She had finally told Chuck the awful things she had done. He was still holding her.

She started to cry.

At first it was silent tears streaming down her face, onto his shirt. Then, something deep within her let go. It was like the door to a hidden room deep within her had burst open. Out of that door came all the pent up grief from years of being the CIA's best.

She felt the sense of loss. She lost her childhood to a father so warped that he thought training his daughter as a con artist was normal. She lost her teenage years to Graham, who was slowly shaping her into a deadly instrument. She lost any chance at a normal relationship and friendship through her twenties, because agents didn't have friends. It distracted them from their duty.

The room deep within her had more than sadness. She saw the faces of the people she had killed. That's when the sobbing started in earnest because, for the first time since her red test, she felt overwhelming regret and she felt shame. Through it all Chuck simply held her. He didn't pat her on the back to soothe her. He didn't say it's okay. He simply held her, he contained her. He made a safe place, he made it safe for her to let go, to be vulnerable.

Sarah lost track of time. Was it thirty minutes, forty ….she didn't know. But gradually the sobbing subsided. She was exhausted and she drifted off in his arms. Later, she jerked her head up and Chuck was still holding her. Chuck whispered in her ear, "Hey, you fell asleep. I think you might need a little water." Sarah sat up and took the water bottle from him and drank greedily.

She looked over into his eyes. He had been crying.

Chuck said, "I didn't know. I saw some of your missions from the Intersect. They were scary images. Sarah…. I didn't fall in love with that person; the person Graham tried to create. You do know that Graham, with all his planning and everything he did, ultimately failed."

Sarah was confused. "What do you mean Chuck…I was his enforcer in the end….I did those monstrous things. You've seen some of them from the Intersect."

"Sarah, I think you know me pretty well. I was attracted to that bit of you that you somehow managed to protect. Somehow, you kept it intact and hidden from Graham. I don't know how you did it but you protected a part of your soul. Listen, I'm no different than any other red-blooded man. I was initially blinded and distracted by your beauty. At first, I was infatuated by you. Then, I saw you through the images of the Intersect. They were frightening and they were ugly. That made me for quite some time very cautious around you. But again and again, as we sold the world and my friends the "cover", I kept getting glimpses of another person.

"Every time I glimpsed that other person, it fascinated me, she attracted me to her. Sarah, you are Agent Walker and Sarah. You can't have one without the other. But I had this growing sense that you were letting me see that hidden bit of you dying to come out. That's who I fell in love with. Not the con artist, not the killer. I accept them because they have shaped you. I tolerate them in order to see the person who I think you really want to become.

Sarah had taken the biggest risk of her life; she had bet everything on Chuck Bartowski. And he had come through for her. After he finished speaking she just stared at him. "Chuck, do you know the Frost poem. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood?"

Chuck said, "Vaguely."

Sarah said, "When I met you, almost from the start, I subconsciously knew that you were that other road for me, the one that is less travelled by. For the longest time I was standing there staring down the two roads…trying to make a decision….which way do I go. No longer. I want us, Chuck."

 _A/N – I'm going to stop here. I will be taking a wee vacation. Some more story lines to tie down. Sarah/Ellie have a chat; How did Sarah find Chuck. Oh, yes what is in the Beckman Doctrine? I have four short points that I think should be in the document. Maybe you folk who are following the story have your own ideas. Thanks for reading and the reviews._


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 _A/N – Thanks to those who left reviews, it is nice to hear from folk that they are enjoying the story._ _A special note of thanks to michaelfmx for being the beta reader and for his valued input._

October 2009- 15 miles from Roy & Bandt Mitchell's Farm , Minnesota

 _Continued from chapter 8….Sarah said, "When I met you, almost from the start, I subconsciously knew that you were that other road for me, the one that is less travelled. For the longest time I was standing there staring down the two roads…trying to make a decision….which way do I go. No longer. I want us, Chuck."_

Sarah was looking intently at Chuck after she finished talking, to gauge his reaction. She didn't have to wait long for the smile. The smile started in his eyes. God, she loved those brown eyes of his. They had a thousand shades depending on the light, from a deep copper color to a dark chocolate and everything in between. Then his generous mouth formed the smile that always warmed her. The kiss that followed was far better than the first time she really kissed him, when she thought they were both going to die. That kiss was about desperation and an end. This kiss was about a new beginning, about a commitment to each other. Reluctantly they broke off the kiss and parted for air.

All too suddenly a shadow crossed Chuck's face. "Sarah, when you say you want us….I mean that's great…it's fantastic …..It's something I've dreamed about… I want us to….…but I think you need to take a hard look at me…I may not be someone you want to hitch your wagon to. Look at it logically. I'm living with two senior citizens on a farm under a false identity. You, on the other hand are this stunningly beautiful woman. You are the best agent in the CIA. Now that Graham is gone you can have an amazing career with the CIA. Who knows maybe become a deputy director.

"I'm an average looking guy. I have nothing to show for the four years I spent at Stanford. I have $3,452.54 to my name. I owe Devon and Ellie at least $20,000 and don't know how I will ever repay them. My last real job had me earning $12 an hour…and …oh ….yes ….let's not forget ….. I've got this giant bull's-eye painted on my front and back. I have the life expectancy of someone living in medieval London at the height of the plaque."

Sarah shook her head, thinking to herself, ' _He really has no idea how amazing he is_.' In the years ahead she had a lot of work to do in order to build up his self-confidence. She then reached over to her pannier and pulled out an envelope. "Chuck, you're wrong, we have a number of options. Notice the word 'we'…..let me say it again…..we… have several things we can do and…. we have the means to do it."

Chuck's eyes widened, he was now hanging on her every word.

Sarah handed Chuck the envelope and said, "This morning you asked me who Mr. Campbell was when I told you Agent Sarah Walker was in Spain and that I had taken the identity of Mrs. Sarah Campbell to travel over here. Go ahead Chuck, open the envelope."

Chuck opened the envelope and pulled out two Canadian passports. The first one was for Mrs. Sarah Campbell, the second one was for Mr. Charles Campbell and when he flipped the page and saw the photo….. he was looking at himself. His mouth opened slightly in astonishment.

"Chuck, I've spent the last year preparing and perfecting the two best cover identities I've ever prepared. Everything I've learned as a spy has been poured into these two identities. We don't need to look at it now but there is a 30 page PDF in my phone with our back story. We call the back-story a legend. It will stand up to intense scrutiny. Keep looking through the envelope Chuck."

Chuck saw driver's licenses, SIN cards, health cards, credit cards and a picture. The picture was of a white bungalow with a red door nestled in amongst several trees. There was a dock and a boat. The house was situated overlooking a lake.

Finally Chuck looked up, "Sarah, is this all for real …I mean …..the identities and …..the boat…the house?"

"Yes. If we…Chuck…notice the word …we…. want to assume these two identities everything is in place, including our house. Oh and about the money concerns. Everything is paid for plus we have $600,000 in 'our' bank account up in Canada waiting for us."

Chuck had a look of disbelief on his face. "Sarah, how did you get so much money?…I mean …." His voice trailed off with embarrassment because Sarah's money wasn't really any of his business.

"Chuck, I've been able to practically bank all my salary for the last 8 years. When I'm on an assignment the government covers all my expenses. My only real indulgence over these last eight years was the Porsche. I got it through Carina, she told me about a DEA auction of goods confiscated from convicted drug lords and their henchmen."

Chuck did the math in his head it still didn't make sense to him. "Sarah that still wouldn't explain all the money you seem to have."

Sarah smiled at him, he didn't miss much. "Chuck, seven years ago, one of the people I was assigned to investigate by Langston Graham was a man called Hamish Menzies. He was a Scottish financier/banker who, it was rumored, had acted as the banker for the Israelis in Europe. I checked him out and quickly confirmed he was indeed helping Mossad with their European operations.

"Graham was of two minds what to do with Menzies. His concern was that Menzies was doing this strictly for the money and one day he might choose to help other organizations that might not be friendly to the United States. Chuck, I liked Hamish and he seemed like a decent guy. I investigated him fully and found out that his mother, Esther, was a holocaust survivor. She had survived being in the Sobibor death camp. That was Hamish's motivation to help Mossad, not the money.

"I was convinced that he wasn't a threat to the United States and convinced Graham in my written and verbal reports that he could help us from time to time. Menzies had been a financier/banker for a long time and he was fully aware how close he had come to getting on Graham's black list.

"He was very grateful to me for helping him. He offered to invest my money and teach me how to move it around so that not even the CIA could ever find it. That very day we made a pact with each other, as long as Menzies didn't help terrorist organizations, he would have my support within the CIA. For his part, he would invest my money for me and keep it hidden. Over the last eight years he has tripled the money I've sent him."

Sarah could see the disbelief flee from Chuck's face. She smiled to herself. Each minute that passed she felt just a little more in touch with him. She took a breath and in a hesitant voice added, "Another option is…. to make a deal with the Devil…..make a deal with Beckman."

Chuck's eyes narrowed and she could see that he had serious misgivings about what she was about to say.

Chuck said, "Working with her, and forgive me that includes the CIA, is like being in the room with an 800-pound gorilla. I mean, at any moment they can stop being nice and instead of peeling a banana they will tear your body apart limb from limb."

Chuck looked away from her and stared, seemingly at nothing. Finally his eyes focused and he said, "Working for Beckman would only work if we have a clear and unbreakable 'sunset clause'."

Sarah squinted as a splash of sunlight washed over her eyes. "Chuck, help me out, what do you mean by 'sunset clause'?"

Chuck explained, "I mean a clear date and time when we can walk away. No double crosses, no threats or trying to leverage you or me or our relationship to make us stay.

"Sarah, I'm not cut out to be a spy or an agent. Don't get me wrong, some of it is exhilarating. Parts of it I love doing. Breaking into computers and networks and extracting their secrets is an amazing high for me. But do I want to seduce people, lie to them to serve the greater good?

"Honestly, can you see me completing that Red Test you told me about ….to see if I have a killer instinct…...in order to become an agent? And more to the point, Sarah, do you want to go back to being a deadly assassin. Do you want to even entertain becoming Beckman's enforcer, especially after what you have just shared with me?"

Chuck grabbed his water bottle; he took a drink and collected his thoughts. Sarah waited.

"No, if we ….notice Sarah, I said… we." That earned him a smile from her. "We will have to work with Beckman in a different way. We need more control of what we do and how we do it. And we need that 'sunset clause' in place. So help me out Sarah, I mean this is your world. What might work, so Beckman gets some of what she wants and I might get the chance to see my sister, Devon and Morgan again? And most importantly we get to be a couple."

Sarah reached for his hand and said, "Leave that to me Chuck, I have some ideas. We'll come back to this. But, first, I want you to tell me why you were smiling when I told you that everything changed in March of this year..….remember you smiled at me and told me you would tell me your story."

Chuck laughed, "Okay, where do I start…it was in Odessa, Texas that we came up with the plan."

Over the next hour, while they ate lunch under the towering 100 year old black walnut tree, Chuck told Sarah about arriving in Odessa and about his hacker friend Rigel. Sarah grabbed Chuck's forearm really hard when he revealed that Rigel and Orion were the same person and that Orion was his dad. She was shocked as Chuck told her almost verbatim about the confrontation with Beckman and how they had managed to pull that off.

Sarah became visibly upset when Chuck told her how he and his dad had arranged the incident on the USS Winston Churchill. In fact she stood up and started pacing back and forth. "Chuck, you do understand that I'm still an agent of the CIA. The fact that you and Orion altered the firing order for those missiles was a serious crime against the United States."

Chuck was taken back by her reaction and his voice rose sharply, "Sarah it was a 'dry run' exercise. No missile was ever going to be fired. That's why we chose that day and that time."

They both looked at each other. Chuck was now angry, "Sarah, think back to what I told you about creating, in the government's mind, the perception of power. That is the game changer. Dad was correct. I have absolutely no doubt that, if my dad and I had failed to create that illusion of power, the NSA and CIA would continue as before. They would eventually capture me and my dad, use us until we had nothing more to contribute. And after that, well most likely they would put us both in shallow graves. All of it justified by national security. Can you tell me that wouldn't be a crime? Remember Sarah, where the law ends….. Tyranny begins.

"What I will say is this, we never hurt anyone, and we left all their databases and systems fully functional. And now, because of the Beckman Doctrine, we have re-introduced accountability and Senatorial monitoring to avoid having another Langston Graham run amok. Where's the crime? Who was the real criminal? "

Chuck had really gotten himself worked up by this point. He rose to his feet and stared at Sarah, looking her right in the eye. His cold demeanor as he spoke gave Sarah a chill.

"You can still do your duty Agent Walker. But….. tell me what your duty is. Are your loyalties to people like Beckman or is it to the Constitution and the Laws of the Land? The termination order issued against me was a crime but guess what?….. No one, not Beckman and certainly not Graham… will ever be held to account for it. Hell, if Casey had actually killed me they probably would've given him a promotion."

Sarah realized she couldn't continue to have divided loyalties. Either, she truly believed in Chuck and that he was on the side of the angels, or she was an agent of the CIA and her duty was clear, she had to secure the asset for Beckman. It was the word 'asset' that triggered something in Sarah. It gave her a moment of clarity, a way to break through her struggle. Chuck Bartowski wasn't an asset, he was a kind, gentle and decent man. She would never let anyone 'handle' him or use him as if he was something to be consumed and then finally discarded.

Sarah's shoulder's sagged and, in a whisper, she said, "Chuck, I already told you. I choose us. At this moment the only orders I'm going to follow are to protect you and follow my heart….in that order." She was staring at him intently. When she was angry her blue eyes were a darker cobalt color. Chuck saw her eyes soften to an azure color and she moved into his arms. "Chuck, I swear life is never going to be dull around you, exhausting, but never dull."

They went back to their bikes, loaded the panniers, and started cycling back to Roy and Bandt's farm. As they were riding side by side Chuck reached out and touched her on the shoulder. "Sarah, you still haven't told me…. how did you find me? How did I screw up, what did I do wrong?"

Sarah smiled and laughed, "Chuck you didn't do anything wrong. The only time we came close to catching you was when you tranquilized Carina. If Carina really had wanted to she might have tracked you down. But she didn't, she let you get away. The other time we might have caught you was when you told us about Altaf Hakim being in Gallup, New Mexico. By the way, we captured him and you saved a lot of lives. That particular selfless act wasn't lost on Beckman and the CIA. But no one, and I mean no one, was looking for you on a bike. Chuck, it was you, Devon, Ellie and Lance Armstrong who gave me the clues and allowed me to finally figure it out."

Chuck looked a little bewildered. "I know I didn't tell you where I was going and I can't believe Devon and Ellie would talk to you. I certainly don't understand why you would be talking with Lance Armstrong?"

Sarah looked over at him, "Two weeks after my extraordinary meeting with Beckman in April, I contacted her and asked for permission to talk with Ellie and Devon." Chuck braked and stopped his bike. "Wait a minute, you've seen Ellie and Devon…I mean when? How is she? Sarah…." Sarah calmed Chuck down and they started to slowly ride back to the farm as she told him the story.

May 5, 2009 Castle – 9:30 am

General Beckman's visage filled the screen. "Agent Walker, this is an unusual request. Please explain to me once again why I should contact the Director of the FBI?"

Sarah collected her thoughts and went through the logic again. "Ma'am, I need to talk with Ellie Bartowski and attempt to reestablish a basic level of trust. I'm pretty sure that she and Chuck have some way of contacting each other in an emergency. I want her to contact me if Chuck feels he is in danger."

General Beckman looked skeptical. "Agent Walker, you don't honestly think that Ms. Bartowski will tell you where her brother is, do you?"

"No ma'am. I do think, however, that if Chuck gets into some sort of trouble he will contact her. That's all I'm hoping to accomplish."

General Beckman pursed her lips and finally nodded. "Very well, I'll contact the FBI and have them set up the meeting."

May 7, 2009 Maison23 Burbank – 7:30 am

Sarah set out in her Porsche for the drive to Sacramento. She could have hopped a ride on the G5 but wanted time to think and plan for her meeting with Ellie and Devon. She would meet FBI Agent in Charge Mac Showers outside the Woodcomb residence at 4:25pm. She had plenty of time.

After eight years of being and agent, Sarah noticed certain things normal people missed. She was always checking her mirror and looking for signs that she was being followed. Some agents told her _'_ _you develop a sixth sense'_. Sarah always believed it was training and following procedures that kept you alive.

She had just gotten onto highway 5 north when she saw a blue Corolla with a small dent on the driver's door with a young blonde driving. As the blonde passed her car Sarah noticed the blonde woman took a quick peek at her and then accelerated past her. Sarah smiled to herself, there was no threat.

About forty-five minutes later another blue Corolla passed her. The women who was driving was a brunette. She took a quick peek at Sarah as the Corolla took the off ramp. It was then that Sarah noticed the small dent on the driver's door. Two different drivers, but two blue Corollas with the same dent? Sarah called Beckman on a secured line.

Beckman answered, "Beckman secure."

"Agent Walker secure. General, I'm being tailed. I've spotted one of the cars. I suspect it is a four or five car surveillance team. That's all I know at the moment. I can't proceed to the meet with the Ellie and Devon until I know who they are and what they want."

Beckman said, "Agent Walker, they are not NSA. Hold on." Beckman came back on the phone five minutes later. "I've just checked with Director Collier at the CIA and it's not his people. I think we need to assume its Fulcrum."

Sarah and General Beckman talked for a further twenty minutes and came up with a plan. Beckman sent Sarah the GPS coordinates for a quarry just south of Stockton. It would take her about three hours to get there. Sarah for the next three hours pretended not to notice the five cars who were discreetly following her. One car smoothly handed off the surveillance to the other in a practiced routine.

Sarah pulled the Porsche off the highway three hours later at exit 426, two miles south of Stockton and headed for the quarry. She drove down a long, single lane approach road that passed through the deserted site. She pulled into a dead end area. There were two huge piles of broken concrete behind her. She got out of the Porsche, checked her gun, put it in the pancake holster at her back and leaned against the hood of her car. She then put her ear bud in and activated her wrist mike. She clicked the mike once and heard a click back in her ear bud. She then clicked twice and heard two clicks. Finally, she clicked the mike three times and heard three clicks back. She waited.

Five minutes later five cars came rushing into the quarry and effectively blocked her in. Five men and two women quickly got out of their cars with guns and sub machine guns drawn and quickly formed a semi-circle around her Porsche. The two men on the flanks looked for any threats to the side. One man in the middle turned around with his Heckler-Koch mp5 and looked for any threats behind them.

There was an eyrie silence for almost two minutes as the seven people waited. At last, one of the female Fulcrum agent's took a step forward and said, "Agent Sarah Walker, where might you be going on this lovely day. Fulcrum would like to invite you to come and chat with us about what you were doing for such a long time in General Beckman's office?"

Sarah took a step towards the group and said, "I will have to decline your offer. But, instead let me invite you to come over to my place. I think there is a mole somewhere that needs to be ferreted out and you all can help us find out who it is."

This agent was obviously the alpha, the leader, and nodded for one of her men to move forward and disarm Sarah. He took one step forward. Suddenly a puff of dust and a red blossom appeared at the center of his chest. He dropped to the ground as if he had been a puppet and all his strings had just been cut. No gun-shot was heard.

Sarah looked at them and said, "Very slowly, very carefully put your weapons on the ground or die where you stand, your choice."

There was a moment when nothing happened, but slowly their leader, the woman, complied and dropped her gun to the ground, the others followed. Sarah with her gun now drawn continued, "Now, on your knees. Keep your hands on top of your heads. One false move and you will die." Sarah spoke into her wrist mike, "Okay, move in and secure the prisoners."

Off in the distance, three hundred and fifty yards away in three carefully selected spots, Delta snipers in Ghillie suits stood up with sound suppressed rifles and walked towards the Fulcrum agents who were kneeling in the dirt.

Sarah called Beckman once the prisoners were secured. Sarah informed Beckman that there had to be a Fulcrum mole in her office. Beckman listened carefully and swore when Sarah related what the female Fulcrum agent had said. They both agreed that Fulcrum was on a fishing expedition. They still didn't know Chuck was the Intersect, it was okay for Sarah to go ahead and meet with Ellie.

Beckman and Sarah agreed that until the interrogations were all completed she couldn't go back to her place at Maison23. Castle would be on lockdown until Beckman figured out how, where and when Fulcrum started following Sarah.

It was a forty minute drive to Sacramento, for most mortals. Sarah figured she could do it in thirty minutes. She would be in plenty of time.

May 7, 2009 Sacramento- Woodcomb's Residence – 4:30 pm

Sarah and FBI Agent-in-Charge Mac Showers walked around to the back of the Woodcomb's house. They were headed towards a pool nestled in a landscaped area. There were dozens of different flowers: irises, daffodils and day lilies. Ellie Bartowski was sitting down on a patio chair. She was wearing a summer dress with a flowery print. Blue, red and yellow colors on a white background. Ellie locked her eyes with Sarah as soon as she and Mac Showers came around the corner.

Sarah, for some reason she never quite fathomed, was always slightly nervous around Chuck's sister. Ellie was every bit as intelligent as Chuck. There was something about the woman's psyche that let you know she was a formidable lady. Ellie didn't handle betrayal well. Sarah had lied to her, and knew this little get together could quickly spiral into an unmitigated disaster. She would rather be back in the quarry….it might just be safer.

Sarah had chosen not to wear any makeup and had pulled her hair back in a simple pony tail. She had a light blue blouse on and jeans with a white belt. Sarah took a big breath and said to herself, _'_ _Oh, Ellie I hope you'll believe what I'm going to tell you today, for Chuck's sake'._

Before Sarah got to the patio, she spotted Devon coming around the corner of the house. He was in his cycling gear and was holding a towel. He was mopping up the sweat on his face, arms and legs. They all arrived at the patio table at about the same time. Ellie was sitting there and hadn't taken her eyes off Sarah. There was a long awkward silence.

Mac Showers cleared his throat and said, "I will leave you to talk. Ellie I will be over by those trees." He walked about 50 feet away where a chair was waiting for him under a large sycamore tree.

Sarah reached into her purse and pulled out two cubes that were about half the size of a Rubik's cube. She pulled her cell phone out and turned it off. "You both might want to turn off your cell phones before I turn these on." Ellie and Devon looked at each other with raised eyebrows but took their phones out and turned them off. "Devon, keep an eye on Agent Showers."

Sarah then yelled, "Agent Showers, you might want to remove your listening device." Devon saw Agent Showers quickly pull something out of his ear. Sarah turned the two jammers on and, for a moment, there was a high-pitched squealing sound. Sarah looked into Ellie's eyes and said, "I don't want anyone listening in to our conversation, not the FBI, NSA or CIA. This is just between us."

Ellie watched Sarah closely as she reached down into her bag and pulled out a file with documents and laid it on the table. "Ellie and Devon, thank you for letting me come and talk to you. I've explained to my bosses why I wanted to talk with you both today. But first let me bring you up to date."

Sarah pulled out the termination order dated September 15th, 2008 and then the cancellation of the termination order issued on March 15, 2009 and pushed them across the table. Devon and Ellie read both of them and pushed the two documents back towards Sarah when they were finished.

Sarah sighed inwardly, she could see that Ellie was coldly furious with her. Sarah then pulled out the Presidential directive ensuring that Chuck and his family would not be harmed. She pushed the directive across the table. Devon and Ellie read through it twice. Finally Ellie spoke, "How do I know this isn't fake? I mean after all, everything with you people is either a lie or a partial truth hidden in a much bigger lie."

Sarah was ready for this. "Devon, take this document and please have your dad confirm with the President's Chief of Staff that this is not a fake document. I believe your dad knows the number to call. The White House has been informed you might call." Devon got up and left. Ellie noticed that Sarah wasn't wearing any makeup and that she had lost weight. Ellie could see the strain around Sarah's eyes and the beginning of worry lines on her forehead.

"Ellie, Devon will come back and confirm this is real. Chuck is now protected by order of the President. The US government is now obligated to protect Chuck. But he is not safe from foreign intelligence agencies and from a certain American splinter group called Fulcrum. I'm very worried about him." Sarah bit her lip, God that sounded so lame.

Ellie's voice was like a whip, "Sarah, you and Casey tried to kill him!"

"Ellie, I didn't know about the termination order. Do you want to know why? They only told Casey and not me because they believed I was compromised. They believed I had strong feelings for your brother and wouldn't carry out the termination order, or try to stop it. And you know what? They were right!" Ellie was surprised by the emotion in Sarah's voice but still wasn't buying any of it. Sarah had fooled her and Devon completely for months.

"Just a minute ago I said I was worried about Chuck. That was a lie. I'm heartsick over him." Sarah paused for a moment to calm herself. Then she added very quietly, "I miss him so much, maybe even more than you do."

Ellie couldn't hold her peace. "I seriously doubt that Sarah. After all, he was just a job, or what is it you people say? Oh yes, a mark. It was your job to make him like you. My God, Chuck hadn't seriously been with a girl since Jill, so he must have been such an easy patsy. Show him a little kindness, a little attention. My God, you could hardly even call it a seduction; it was more like a slaughter."

There was fire in Sarah's eyes as she looked at Ellie and told her, "I never slept with Chuck! "I never seduced Chuck, he meant far too much to me. We had to appear as if we were a couple. I was told several times by my bosses to have sex with Chuck to try to control him. I refused to do it, not because I didn't want to…..believe me Ellie…when I say this….I did want to. Not for the NSA or the CIA but for me, Sarah Walker. But at the end of the day I didn't have sex with Chuck because that would have been like throwing gasoline on a fire. Things could have easily spiraled out of control. I wasn't going to play fast and loose with Chuck's freedom or his life."

Ellie and Sarah were both leaning across the patio table, almost as if they were going to arm wrestle. They were glaring at each other. Sarah leaned back and reached for the file and pulled out the letter Chuck had written to her back when he went on the run. She handed it over to Ellie.

Ellie took the handwritten letter and sat back and read it once and then again. As Ellie was reading the letter Sarah was biting the inside of her cheek. Sarah could recite the letter Ellie was now holding verbatim.

Sarah's attention wandered as Ellie read Chuck's letter. When she was exhausted from playing the perfect CIA agent looking for Chuck, she would take the letter out and re-read it. Sarah's eyes drifted and when she looked back at Ellie she was surprised. Ellie was staring at Sarah but this time a lot of the hostility in her eyes was gone.

Ellie noticed that the letter from Chuck had been read many times. She also couldn't miss the places where moisture had slightly blurred the ink, from Sarah's tears. Ellie was still pissed with Sarah but she was coming around to believing that Sarah would never hurt her brother.

"Sarah, I need to ask you some questions. I need you to tell me the truth. Tell me one lie and this meeting is over. Are you willing to do that?"

Sarah sighed, "Ellie, I won't lie to you but I may not be able to answer every question if the answer is classified."

Ellie started, "You did not know about the termination order?"

"No. There is no power on Earth or under Heaven that could make me harm him or betray him."

"Do you love Chuck?"

"Yes. Ellie, but I couldn't tell him that. If Casey or Beckman found out, they would whisk me away and I would never see him again. But you can see from the letter he knows me too well …at some level Chuck knew I was in love with him."

Ellie leaned in, "Are you in charge of finding Chuck?"

"Yes, I'm the team leader."

"What happens if you catch Chuck?"

Sarah sat back for a moment to gather her thoughts. She always held her cards close to her chest. That's one of the things that had kept her alive. Her training told her to lie or deflect on Ellie's question, her gut told her something different. This was the moment to connect with Ellie. This might be the start to repairing her relationship with Ellie. But if she was wrong, then she might end up in Leavenworth for 10 or 15 years.

Sarah leaned closer to Ellie. There was only a foot separating them now. "Ellie, if you want to destroy me, if you want to punish me and have me put into jail, all you have to do is repeat to Beckman what I'm about to tell you.

"If I find Chuck, I'm going to give him a choice. It will be his decision and I won't influence that decision. I will either run away with him and we will get so far off the grid that the NSA and CIA will never find us; or we will come back to Burbank together and continue to work for them. But know this Ellie; I will be by his side. I will not be separated from him again. My prime directive, God I'm starting to sound like Chuck, will be to protect and keep him safe." Sarah sat back and took a deep cleansing breath.

At that moment Devon came back to the table. "Babe, it's all true. And you're not going to believe this; I just spoke to the President of the United States. Chuck is protected. Sarah is telling us the truth…..Ellie, there's more, the Government has a check for Chuck when he returns. They're giving him back pay. It's a year's salary as a senior analyst with the CIA. Sarah what does that amount to?"

Sarah did a quick calculation. "Between $97,000 and $115,000, it depends."

The tension that had been present throughout the meeting lessened. Sarah whispered, "Ellie, Devon…. Chuck is still in danger. Do you know where he is?"

Both of them shook their heads no. Ellie's tone was laced with sadness. "No Sarah, I don't know. He will only contact me only in a dire emergency. That's the way he wanted it."

Sarah then said, "Ellie, is there any place he might go to. A place you travelled to as children or as teenagers? I also need to know how Chuck escaped. Was it by car, boat, plane or bus? If I know that I can narrow down the search parameters. Please Ellie, you know I won't let anyone harm him." Ellie could see raw emotion in her face as Sarah whispered, "Please…..I'm begging you."

Ellie felt badly for Sarah, "Sarah, Chuck told us not to talk with you, Casey or anyone else from the intelligence community. I'm going to honor his request. I won't betray my brother's trust.

"However, I do believe you love him and that if you find him you will do what he wants to do….you know…. going off the grid or coming back to Burbank. So I have a dilemma.

"Chuck would never fall in love with someone who isn't very smart. Sarah, you already know the answers to your questions. Part of the answer is staring you in the face, the other part of the answer Chuck told you. Think back to when we were all together in times past and we were friends. At least I thought of you as a friend. I have no idea what you really felt."

Sarah was confused and hurt by Ellie's last remark. This was neither the time nor the place for Sarah to tell Ellie that she was the only non spy girlfriend she had ever had. Sarah realized that she couldn't push either of them any further. "Ellie, if we find Chuck I will tell you about it, whether my bosses want me to or not. If Chuck is in trouble call me and I will do anything and everything to reach him and help him."

Sarah went to grab the two electronic jammer cubes, but before she switched them off she paused. "Ellie, being with you, Devon and Chuck, and being treated as part of your family was …listen….. you have no idea what it meant to me. Trust your gut Ellie, I loved being a part of your family, I think at some level you know that." She switched off the jammer cubes and said goodbye.

Sarah had a great memory for faces, places and past conversations. Part of it was innate and part of it was CIA training. She also loved puzzles and Ellie had given her clues but as of yet they weren't making any sense.

Sarah had been driving for an hour when she turned on the radio. The broadcaster was talking about how Lance Armstrong had placed second in the Tour of Gila, in New Mexico. The newscaster went on to say that he and his Astana team would be entering the Giro d 'Italia. Sarah wasn't paying too much attention as the announcer talked about allegations from the French authorities that Armstrong was doping.

She smiled to herself and remembered her first meeting with Chuck and how he had told her about Captain Awesome. Devon looked great in his cycling gear when he came to join them on the patio. Devon never quit he was always exercising. All of a sudden Sarah sat upright in her seat. She pulled her Porsche to the side of the road and shut the engine off. Ellie said, ' _Part of the answer is staring you in the face'._

She was almost certain that Devon had helped Chuck go on the run. The problem was she could never find any direct evidence. Sarah and her team of analysts had gone through Ellie's and Devon's finances with a fine tooth comb. Almost every cent had been accounted for. Nothing had gone to Chuck.

Devon wasn't a spy but he was a sports nut. She knew he loved cycling. A week after the Beta Intersect went live, Devon had Chuck out running. Why? Ahhh, because….. Chuck needed to be in shape. Why? Chuck wasn't going to do a Forest Gump and run across America. Sarah smiled to herself. Of course, Devon and Chuck had used the bicycle as his means of escape. Brilliant and unorthodox, escape on a bicycle ….it is just too absurd. Yes of course that had to be it. Then Sarah's hopes sagged …great there are what….. 35 million regular cyclists in America. Shit.

Sarah was still excited though, now the second clue, ' _the other part of the answer Chuck told you. Think back to when we were all together in times past and we were friends.'_

Sarah started up the Porsche and got back on Interstate 5 south. The 'get together' Ellie was referring to couldn't have been in the apartment at Echo Park. She and the analysts back at Castle had gone over all the recordings looking for clues to where Chuck might have gone. Every place that had been mentioned at those get-togethers had been checked out.

No, the four of them must have been out to dinner somewhere. But standard protocol called for Sarah to file a written report about items discussed when she was out for dinner with Chuck, Ellie and Devon. She and the analysts had already gone over all of those reports and followed up on any places Sarah had put in the reports.

Sarah knew that she kept things out of the reports, especially when she had been drinking a little too much. _Come on think!_ Then it suddenly came to her! It was Ellie's birthday party. They had all taken a cab because Ellie wanted to party, she wanted to have fun. It had been a great evening. Sarah still remembered making a conscious decision to also have some fun, and for one night just be Sarah, not Agent Walker. She remembered her hangover the next morning. That must have been when Chuck said the name of the place they visited when they were kids.

October 2009- 15 miles from Roy & Bandt Mitchell's Farm , Minnesota

Chuck remembered Ellie's birthday dinner as Sarah was talking. It had been a great evening but he had paid a stiff price the next day. It was still worth it just to see Sarah having so much fun. "So Sarah, how do you find one cyclist amongst 35 million? Pretty tough, if you don't know where to look?"

Sarah looked over at Chuck. "Don't be so smug Chuck. I concentrated on looking at CCTV cameras and any satellite coverage in the Gallup, New Mexico area going back as far as November 2008. It took a long time to go through the archived satellite and CCTV data. But in June one of the archived tapes from a satellite showed a lone cyclist heading towards….Las Cruces. But the trail was too cold. It was now June. That one lone cyclist could be anywhere by now. Beckman and the analysts at Castle thought I was mad suggesting you had escaped on a bike. They continued to explore other areas. In the end I was the only one at Castle still searching for a cyclist.

Every night, before I went to sleep, I tried to remember what happened at Ellie's birthday party and everything you had said that evening. I was just drifting off to sleep when I remembered coaxing Ellie into trying a Mimosa. We were all a little drunk and laughing. Then it finally came to me.

Ellie was having difficulty saying the word Mimosa and you were tipsy. Chuck, your speech was a little slurred when you said, "Ellie, isn't…..isn't that…the….the place in Minnesoppa…. You know where Mom took us to visit her grandmother…Mimosa, Minnestota?" I remembered Ellie putting her finger on your chest. "Chuck, it's Miloma… Minnesoppa… you great big goof."

Miloma Minnesota was about 15 miles northeast from Worthington and 25 miles from the Mitchell's farm.

Chuck nodded his head in approval, "Well done Ms. Walker. So after that 'Mimosa and Miloma' revelation, how long did it take for you to spot me?"

Sarah was proud of finding him and said, "It was late September, I finally got a clear image of you from one of our satellites. You were taking off your helmet between the house and the barn. The timing was perfect, you looked up at something in the sky…a hawk or something….and when I zoomed in…I was pretty certain it was you. That night I couldn't sleep and I started planning on coming out here to find you."

Later That Evening Roy & Bandt Mitchell's Farm , Minnesota

The meal with Roy and Bandt had been amazing. Everything they ate that evening had been grown or raised on the farm. Bandt had deemed it a special evening and had produced 2 bottles of her homemade elderflower wine. Sarah sat back in her chair and felt content, her stomach was full and she was enjoying her second glass of wine. After desert they all pitched in and helped Bandt clean up.

Chuck and Sarah grabbed their coats and a couple of blankets and headed back out to his bench that sat behind the old weathered barn. It was going to be a crisp, clear night with a full moon rising in 15 minutes.

Sarah snuggled closer to Chuck as he put the blanket over their legs. Chuck took a breath. "Sarah, I guess it really isn't practical for us to stay here with Roy and Bandt?' Sarah's wistful response was, "I wish we could Chuck. They adore you and I'm sure they would eventually accept me. But they are in danger if Fulcrum ever came out here looking for you." Chuck was very still, staring up at the moon. Sarah knew that her coming here to the farm meant the end of Chuck's sojourn with Roy and Bandt. Being here for the past five months had changed him… for the better but it was time to leave.

Chuck cleared his throat, "So I guess we should leave tomorrow or the next day. What do you think we should do Sarah? Go off the grid or go back and work for Beckman?"

 _A/N – We are now in the homestretch. The next chapter will be the last one for this story._


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N-_ _Thanks to michaelfmx for being a superb beta reader and editor. Any errors that remain are mine alone. I've checked the historical references, but again, if I goofed..mea culpa. I think it is incumbent on all Canadians, to once in their life quote Leonard Cohen. I have now fulfilled that obligation. I don't own Chuck, Cohen owns Cohen. No money changed hands, no profit was accrued_.

 **Continued from Chapter 9** …Sarah snuggled closer to Chuck as he put the blanket over their legs. Chuck took a breath. "Sarah, I guess it really isn't practical for us to stay here with Roy and Bandt?" Sarah's wistful response was, "I wish we could Chuck. They adore you and I'm sure they would eventually accept me. But they are in danger if Fulcrum ever came out here looking for you." Chuck grew very still, staring up at the moon. Sarah knew that her coming here to the farm meant the end of Chuck's sojourn with Roy and Bandt. Being here for the past five months had changed him… for the better. Chuck cleared his throat, "So I guess we should be leaving soon. What do you think we should do, Sarah? Go off the grid or go back and work for Beckman?"

Chapter 10

Sarah took a long time to answer Chuck. "Chuck, I gave my word to Ellie and Devon that I wasn't going to influence your decision. In other words, if you don't want to go back….then I'm on board, we'll go off the grid. But you did ask me what ideas I had if we did go back to Burbank. I have some ideas that might….I'm not saying they will…. but they might give us some of what we want and also be acceptable to Beckman."

Chuck shifted his position to see Sarah's face better. "Don't forget what I said about the 'sunset clause' in any arrangement we make with her."

"I'm not forgetting Chuck, but remember this is a negotiation and Beckman is a proud woman. You've embarrassed her over the last year. Your confrontation with her was a further humiliation. And even though she wants you working for her, she won't let you….I mean…. us humiliate her again, especially not in front of her bosses."

Sarah collected her thoughts and continued, "Okay, I think the most important question is: Are you going to join the NSA or the CIA?

Chuck looked at her, not quite sure what the right answer was. "Do you think I would make a good agent?"

Sarah reached out and put her hand on his cheek. "I think you would be a great agent…. for the most part. You would be one of the best. But there are other parts of the job you simply would not be able to do. And I think you already know what those parts are; Chuck, it's because you wouldn't do those parts, because you wouldn't be good at them..…. that's why I love you.

"Bear this in mind, once you become an agent there are a rules and regulations that will govern your every action, every minute of every day. Breaking those rules can lead to consequences, from an administrative slap on the wrist… to you ending up in Supermax prison. In the very worst case scenario they can sanction you."

Sarah looked at Chuck and could see that he understood precisely what 'sanction' meant.

"So Chuck, I suggest that you agree to be a contractor. Set up an agreement with them and include an end date in the contract…your 'sunset clause', as it were.

Chuck nodded his head in agreement and then spit out in a bitter tone, "I will never go back to you being my handler….never….those days are over forever." Sarah put her hand on his chest. "We have two choices in that case, I have to quit the CIA or I can ask to be your 'companion' and ask that you be my last assignment." Chuck didn't like the sound of the word 'companion' and all that it might mean, and it registered immediately on his face.

Sarah saw his reaction and jumped in. "Chuck, it doesn't mean exactly what you think. Companion has many shades of meaning. It can mean a close personal connection, like a fiancé, a wife or it can mean something less formal like a girlfriend or a mistress. If I also asked to be a 24/7 protection agent for you on my last assignment, then I would literally be wearing two hats." Sarah then gave him a smile and a quick kiss on the cheek. "And you would never be rid of me."

Chuck was smiling…..imagine hearing Sarah Walker use words like fiancé and wife in the same sentence…..truly remarkable. It hadn't quite been 24 hours since Sarah had come back into his life. And now all the balls were up in the air. Sarah saw the smile on his face and she immediately clued into why he was smiling. It was probably just as well that Chuck couldn't see Sarah Walker blushing in the moonlight.

The smile on Chuck's face dimmed and his next words were laced with concern. "Sarah, be brutally honest here. If you were still an agent, and in this new role as companion and close protector…..would….I mean could Beckman order you to terminate me?"

Sarah took a while to answer. Finally, she answered in a melancholy tone. "Chuck, you know there is no termination order. You know that because of the Presidential directive, no termination order can be issued against you. But here is the very worst case scenario. Until Fulcrum is dealt with, it will be our ongoing shared nightmare; you are about to be captured by Fulcrum and I can't stop them. What do I do Chuck?

"Let them capture and torture you for days before they kill you? Let them take you and hope I can rescue you? Or shoot you to prevent that from happening? Before I ever did that Chuck, I'd be looking into your eyes for you to tell me what to do. I would only do it with your permission."

Sarah moved away from Chuck and pulled her legs tight to her body, almost as if protecting herself from what she was about to say next. Then, in a voice filled with anxiety that Chuck had never heard before, she continued. "But know this. If if I ever do pull the trigger, I will save one last bullet for myself. I couldn't keep on living if you were gone."

Chuck sat back and grew quiet. After a time, he let out a big breath, "What a crazy world Bryce has brought me into. Here we are trying to figure out how we might forge a life together and we end up talking about when you might have to kill me. God, it's so surreal."

Sarah waited a bit and then asked, "So, Chuck do you want to hear the rest of my ideas?" Chuck nodded for her to continue.

"Beckman is going to want to have another team of agents protecting you. Beckman's problem is containment. She doesn't want to have to widen the circle of who knows you are the Intersect. The most logical choice is for Casey to come back on the team. I think the other person we suggest to Beckman that should join the team …..is Carina."

When Chuck heard Casey's and Carina's names, he couldn't hold back. "Sarah, there's not a hope in hell that Beckman is going to take Casey back. I thought she was furious with him when he resigned? And I thought you told me that Beckman was less than impressed with Carina's efforts in trying to find me, back in November?"

Sarah gave Chuck a little dig in his ribs with her elbow. "Work with me here, Chuck.

"We need to trust the team we're working with. At this moment, they are the only two people I would want being part of our team. Anyone else could be Fulcrum or might have orders from Beckman to capture us or who knows what. We'll never be able to trust them.

"Chuck bear this in mind, it will be Casey and Carina who carry out the most dangerous parts of any future missions. I'm going to be with you in the van or car, or being over watch for them and you. I'll never be more than a few feet from your side. If the situation calls for it I'll be covering you with a sniper rifle."

Chuck was mulling Sarah's ideas over in his mind. Maybe Beckman would go for the idea. The question was, could Chuck work with Casey. They still had a lot to sort out. But to give Casey his due, he did resign rather than lead the manhunt for him. Chuck put his arm around Sarah's shoulder when he felt her shiver. "Sarah, if we do go back to Burbank, I'm not going to lie to Ellie any longer. That ends. Do you have any ideas about how we bring Ellie and Devon onto the team?"

Sarah smiled, "Chuck, that may be the easiest piece of this whole puzzle. You've already told them about the Intersect. So, we get Beckman to read them in on the Intersect. Appoint Ellie and Devon as the NSA medical support team to the Intersect. Ellie will be the one who monitors you and your health to make sure the Intersect doesn't harm you anymore than it does already. Her qualifications as a neurologist are first rate. Devon has all the skills required to be the team's trauma surgeon."

Chuck had this quizzical look on his face. Sarah picked up on it. "Chuck, what is it?"

"Sarah, what did you and Casey tell everyone at the Buy More, when I disappeared?"

Sarah looked embarrassed. "Well, Ellie and Devon already knew the whole story and they left for Sacramento. Beckman wasn't' going to bother either of them, if they both kept quiet. The Buy More crowd was a little trickier." Sarah looked at Chuck because he wouldn't like the next bit of her story.

"Chuck, I had to think on my feet, so I told Jeff, Lester and especially Morgan that we had a huge fight and falling out. The fight was because I had told you that I was seeing my old boyfriend back in D.C. You were heartbroken and left Burbank to find yourself and forget about me. That way no one would file a missing persons report. I guess you can imagine that I'm persona non grata at the Buy More."

Chuck made a face. "That story doesn't sound very plausible. I mean sure, I would be upset but just leave? Did Morgan and the others actually buy it?"

"Chuck, take a tip from a con artist's daughter. The story is less important than how you sell it. I was able to sell it. Beckman and I agreed to get an agent to pretend he was my old boyfriend visiting me from D.C. When Morgan saw me with him at the Orange-Orange…. believe me….. he bought it. He was furious with me. I honestly thought at one point he was going to take a swing at the agent. Morgan's really loyal to you Chuck. I don't think Morgan will ever talk to me again."

Chuck missed Morgan and hoped he was okay, well at least they didn't tell people he was dead. He became very quiet and started thinking about Ellie and Devon.

Chuck was thousands of miles away. His thoughts were back in Sacramento with his sister. Sarah felt the melancholy settle around Chuck like a cloak. She felt his shoulders sag just a fraction. "Chuck, I know you're feeling sad. Please don't shut me out…what's bothering you?"

Chuck shifted closer to her and gave her a sad smile. "If we decide to become Sarah and Charles Campbell and go to Canada, I may not see Ellie for five or ten years or maybe ever again. I would love to see her and talk to her about the choices you and I have to make. I know it's unrealistic…but still…."

Sarah said in a matter of fact tone, "Chuck, why don't we fly out and meet them in Sacramento?" Chuck was feeling shitty and it certainly didn't help having Sarah mock him about his impossible wish.

"Sarah, I know it's a silly idea…..but there's no reason to mock me." As soon as he said it he felt Sarah stiffen and her voice was tinged with anger. "Chuck, I'll forgive you for that last remark. We haven't spent a lot of time together, so you may have forgotten some things about me. I wasn't mocking you. I was very serious."

Chuck placed his hand on her shoulder. "Why…you're serious?….. But there is no way we can risk going to an airport, even if I was disguised, there's too much risk."

"Chuck, we won't go near a commercial flight, nor go near a major airport. You do remember that I'm a qualified pilot, right? I have a multiengine rating and 1,500 hours in the left seat. I'll fly us out to Sacramento."

Chuck started to chuckle. "I'd forgotten what it's like to have Super Girl and Wonder Woman as my girlfriend. Sarah gave him a light punch on the shoulder and laughed. "I'm glad some of these important facts are coming back to you…..farm boy."

Sarah then spent the next fifteen minutes telling Chuck how she would get them both over to the west coast. Chuck sat back afterwards and shook his head. "Wow, I'd forgotten how amazing you really are…well ….that will most certainly work. If we leave the day after tomorrow, that will give me time to safely contact Ellie and Devon about where to meet us. Do you have a satellite phone back in your rental car, parked in Worthington?" Sarah gave him a thumbs up.

They lapsed into a companionable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Chuck's mind was working furiously going over all the options they had discussed. Could he really work for Beckman again? Could he trust Casey? If Ellie and Devon were part of the team was he putting their lives at risk? What if Beckman wanted to load another version of the Intersect? Chuck would resist. He already knew that without the governor the Intersect would 'fry' his brain.

He stole a glance over at Sarah and realized that she was deep waters. The hand he was now holding could be soft and make him shudder with delight. That same calloused hand could kill quickly and silently. And yet he loved her.

Sarah was as relaxed as she had ever been. The stars were mesmerizing and her mind drifted. She was thinking about her future with Chuck. She knew she should be racked with worry about her career, about Beckman and Fulcrum. But instead she dreamed about a white bungalow with a red door. For once in her life she didn't dismiss those dreams has fantastical.

Once again they were huddled close together with a blanket covering their legs and another one over Sarah's shoulders. Above them the stars were growing brighter. Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper were standing as silent guards on either side of the North Star. Chuck felt Sarah's head dip as she nodded off and then jerk up, awake again. She was still jet lagged.

Sarah was spent, physically and emotionally. Today had been one of the hardest, and yet one of the most fulfilling days of her entire life. But she was now desperate to be back in the farmhouse under the warm duvet with Chuck holding her. "Chuck, I'm sorry but can we go to bed?" Chuck gently pulled her up, grabbed the blankets with one hand and they headed back to the farmhouse and to bed.

Early Next Morning

Sarah opened her eyes slowly. She had heard the door downstairs close and guessed it was Roy and Bandt headed out to his workroom in the barn. So it must be 5am. She turned her head to see that Chuck was wide awake, looking at her. There was just barely enough ambient light to see his face. All of a sudden he gave her a cheeky grin and rushed out of the bed, racing to the bathroom. She giggled and raced after him to remind him to brush his teeth. They would be by themselves in the farmhouse for the next hour. Sarah finished in the bathroom first and beat him back to the bed, waiting for him to slide in beside her.

Soon they were kissing and her heart was hammering in her chest. Finally, there was a moment for her to catch her breath and talk. "Chuck, I know I promised you a massage and to do that …thing you like but…" Chuck went to kiss her again and she touched his lips with her fingers. "Steady Chuck, steady. I need to ask you something…. please.

"This past year, when I was by myself and wishing you were with me..….there were a lot of long, lonely nights…..I….well…. I imagined how you might come back to me. You know…a soft knock at the door and you'd come into my room and …..I would be in the bed. Over the time I built up this …..fantasy about what I would do…. and then what you would do. Can you …..would you….. indulge me….can we try to make that fantasy ….you know….maybe make it come true while we have the house to ourselves?"

Chuck had a big Cheshire Cat grin on his face. "So, you want me to go outside…lightly knock on the door and do what….. say your name….and then quietly come into the room?" Sarah, in a whisper, said, "Yes, when you come in I will take the duvet and hold it up so you can slide into bed….then I will…" Chuck stopped her. "No…. don't say anymore …..surprise me, as we go along whisper to me what you want me to do. I'm a quick study…."

Later

It was 7:45am and Chuck opened his eyes and looked over at Sarah, who was sound asleep. All Chuck could think of was that Sarah must have really missed him over the past year. He smiled to himself and shook his head, yes she had missed him a lot.

Shafts of sunlight were quickly winning the battle with the blind and curtains on the window. As Chuck watched, one shaft of sunlight was working its way up the bed and headed for Sarah's head. Chuck held his breath waiting and soon the shaft of sunlight bathed her face and golden hair in the clear morning light. All of a sudden, the first two lines of a Leonard Cohen song leapt to mind;

 _I loved you in the morning, our kisses deep and warm,  
your hair upon the pillow like a sleepy golden storm._

As he was thinking about the song Sarah opened her eyes. Chuck wanted to pinch himself. How was it possible that a woman this lovely had eyes only for him. Sarah smiled and reached up to pull his head down to kiss her. Soon the sound of pots and pans could be heard downstairs. A clear signal from Bandt that breakfast would be on the table very soon and she needed them downstairs….now!

After Breakfast

Bandt was sipping her coffee and listening to Roy tell a story about Mike Lensen, their neighbor. Sarah and Charles had been touching each other all through breakfast. Nothing over the top, a touch on the hand or the forearm, or her hand just barely brushing against his. Bandt now had zero doubts about how committed they were to each other.

Yesterday, they must have reconciled whatever differences that remained between them. It was obvious there would be no parting between them and they were a committed couple. It was while she was looking at them that she saw Sarah give Charles a nod and a sad look came over Charles's face. Bandt knew in that instance why Chuck was so sad. Bandt nodded her head…of course they were going to resume their life together….they were going to leave the farm.

Bandt took several seconds to find her voice and get control of her feelings. She cleared her throat. "Roy, I think it's time for Charles and Sarah to move on?" As she said it she looked over at the young couple and knew she had guessed correctly.

Roy was caught unaware by Bandt's announcement and he showed more emotion on his face than usual. Surprise, shock and then sadness flitted across his face. Roy felt his throat tighten as he came to terms with Chuck leaving the farm. Roy looked away from Chuck out into the farm yard, trying to reign in his emotions. Roy hadn't cried in the last fifteen years so he was very surprised when he felt wetness on his cheeks.

When Roy turned his head away, Chuck pushed his chair back and quietly walked over to where Roy was sitting and put his hand on Roy's shoulder. Roy slowly rose to his feet and finally looked into Chuck's face. Neither one was able to speak. Chuck opened his arms and gave Roy a huge hug. Both men buried their heads into the other's shoulder. The hug conveyed everything they needed to say to each other, including goodbye.

Sarah shifted her gaze from Roy and Chuck and saw the tears pooling in Bandt's eyes and lost it.

Bandt turned away from watching Roy and Chuck and saw Sarah's tears. She got up from the table to sit beside her. She took Sarah's hand in hers and whispered, "Roy never had any children. Nor did I. But in these last five months we have come as close as we ever will to having a son. Charles is special to us and that means you, Sarah, are special to us. Think of this as your home. There will always be a roof, a meal and a warm bed for the two of you as long as Roy or I are alive." Sarah leaned across and hugged this intuitive, straight talking, no nonsense old lady.

Cycling to Worthington, MN

Chuck and Sarah were cycling the ten miles into Worthington to get the rental car. The plan was for Chuck to contact Ellie and Devon using his last burner phone. Sarah needed to talk with Carina and Casey.

When they reached Sarah's rental car in Worthington she let Chuck hold her bike. She then quickly checked to make sure the car hadn't been tampered with and confirmed all her little security checks were still in place. Once she was satisfied, she popped the trunk and grabbed the laptop and her satellite phone, and put them in the front passenger seat.

Chuck was driving to a secluded spot outside Worthington, while Sarah was on the phone with Carina. Sarah finished the call and smiled at Chuck. "Carina is willing to help and is ,thankfully, available for the next week, she's between assignments. Now I'll call Casey."

The call to Casey took longer, as Sarah explained what she wanted him to do and that she had found Chuck. She concluded the call with. "Casey, I know you have lots of questions but Carina is on board and you owe it to Chuck to listen to him and then make your decision…will you do it? Can we count on you?" Chuck couldn't believe it ….he actually heard a grunt coming through the phone. Then the call ended.

They stopped the car and switched positions. Chuck took out his last burner phone and reached Mr. Jamieson his (Charles Conner's) lawyer in Sacramento and asked him to deliver a message to Devon. Mr. Jamieson took down the message and then repeated it verbatim back to Chuck. "Thanks Mr. Jamieson, much appreciated." Chuck shut off the phone and pulled out the SIM card. He turned to Sarah and said, "Let's head back to the farm. I want to spend as much time with Roy and Bandt as possible." Chuck then grew silent and watched the harvested fields along the way.

When they got back to the farm with Sarah's car they went back into the farmhouse. Bandt and Roy were just sitting down with a cup of tea and fresh scones. Chuck and Sarah joined them and started an easy conversation. Roy noticed Sarah looking at the gun cabinet and took her over to have a look at the guns. "So, Sarah do you know much about guns." Chuck started coughing as he sipped his tea. Sarah, without missing a beat, said, "My dead Uncle Graham taught me about guns. Is that a Springfield 03, I see over there?"

Bandt looked over at Chuck and made a decision. "Chuck, there's something upstairs in my room that I would like you to have." Chuck had never been in Bandt's room so was curious about what was in her inner sanctum.

Bandt opened the door to a spacious room. Maple hardwood floors gleamed and the furniture was made of reddish brown cedar by someone who really knew what they were doing. It looked like Roy's handiwork. Bandt smiled as Chuck took in her room. "Charles, the furniture was my wedding gift from Roy and my father. They made this for me and my husband Thomas in 1951.

Chuck must have shown surprise on his face because Bandt smiled at him. "So, all this time you thought I was a mere spinster? No Charles, once I was young and very much in love. Sit down over by the window." Near the window was a little round cedar table with two hand crafted chairs to match. Chuck sat down and waited.

Bandt gave a small sigh as she sat down. "Charles, war is hard on families. Sometimes it exacts an awful price. During the Second World War a family not too far from here in Iowa, the Sullivans lost all five sons in a single blow when their ship was torpedoed.

Bandt was no longer looking at Chuck. She was looking out the window and Chuck could sense her travelling back in time. She took a deep breath and continued. "The Korean War was our family's war. That war nearly killed Roy and it was very hard on me. Roy was conscripted and went to Korea in 1951.

"When he left, he was engaged to Thelma Lindberg. I never cottoned to the woman but Roy was head over heels in love with her. He wasn't gone a year before Thelma wrote him a 'Dear John' letter. It broke his heart. Maybe that's why he never married. Later, in 1952, he was wounded in the leg and hip with shrapnel. But he finally made it back safely to us.

"My husband was named Thomas Olson. His family lived nearby, four farms over. He and I were inseparable from the age of sixteen onwards. Both of our families made us wait until we were eighteen to get married." Bandt turned to Chuck and gave him a smile as she remembered Thomas. "We waited to be formally married but we didn't wait to be with each other and to love each other. That big blond Swede was my soul mate, the love of my life. I'm glad I didn't wait to love him. I'm glad we got married young."

Bandt stopped talking and walked over to a little mahogany box on her dresser and rooted around and smiled when she found what she was looking for. She walked over to the table and sat down. "Thomas got conscripted and went to Korea in 1952. He was killed a year later in a meaningless battle on some hill they couldn't even bother naming, they just gave it a number. Yes Charles, the Korean War was hard on our family."

Chuck was mesmerized by Bandt's story and the faraway look in her eyes. But soon the old Bandt returned and her focused gaze settled on Chuck. "Charles, there was never going to be another man to measure up to my Thomas, so I came back to the farm and have been here with Roy and my parents ever since. My parents passed away ten years ago."

Bandt held up a platinum ring with a simple solitaire diamond. "Charles, I have no one to pass this ring on to. The tradition in Thomas' family was to pass this ring to your son or grandson. This was the ring they gave to the woman that had captured their heart. I would like you to have it and, unless I'm seriously mistaken, the woman downstairs is your soul mate, and I think the love of your life. Don't waste time Charles, life doesn't give you any guarantees, there are no certainties. You may only have a year, you may have more. Who knows?"

Bandt then stood up and stretched to deal with a cramp in her back. "I've a dinner to make so let's go rescue Sarah from Roy and his gun collection."

Evening

Chuck and Sarah were, once again, outside on his wooden bench overlooking Willoughby stream. Bandt had pulled out all the stops for their last dinner together. She had forbidden any talk about Chuck and Sarah leaving them tomorrow. Instead, she and Roy regaled Sarah with tales about Chuck learning to live on a farm. They were poking fun at Chuck's expense but underneath it all was that sense of how proud they were of him.

After they had cleaned up the dinner dishes, Sarah and Chuck had said goodnight to the aging siblings and headed out for one last night of gazing at the stars. Sarah was so relaxed she wasn't doing her usual scanning of the fields and the stream every couple of minutes.

Chuck gave a big sigh. "Sarah, we can't have any secrets between us, so I have to make a confession that only my dad and I know about." Chuck could feel Sarah tense up. He thought to himself… _Well I better get this over with…..I have to tell her, I have to know if I can really trust her._

"Sarah, yesterday I told you about the sentinels, you remember the computer code that my dad and I loaded into all the key databases throughout the intelligence community." Sarah gave him the slightest nod of her head.

"Well, the government believes there are hundreds….maybe thousands of these sentinels, cleverly hidden in these databases. The sentinels are making sure that the Beckman Doctrine is carried out and that Ellie, Devon my dad and I are not harmed. Well…. the truth…..the truth is there are only ten sentinels that are working and they were only supposed to last for one year.

"If the government ever found out, if Beckman ever found out, I think my time on Earth might be very short." Chuck took a big cleansing breath and waited. The information he had just shared was priceless to the right people; and if Sarah chose to take that information back to Beckman she could write her own ticket. Her career and her future in the CIA would be a stellar one.

Chuck hated that he had to test Sarah's loyalty….. but ….he had been betrayed too many times in his life. The list of betrayers he could recite like a mantra, Mary, his mom, Stephen, his dad, Bryce, his best friend and then Jill, his first love and then finally by Beckman and Graham, his jail keepers.

Sarah actually gasped out loud. She was staggered by what she had just heard. Chuck and his dad had basically 'conned' the government. It was a huge, stupid, risky and audacious bluff. She was acutely aware of what that information was worth to Beckman. She had no doubt that Agent Sarah Walker, who arrived in Burbank almost two years ago, would have immediately reported what Chuck had just told her to Graham and Beckman in a heartbeat. And she would have reaped the rewards and promotion for doing it, most likely after having killed Chuck Bartowski. Another mission successfully completed by the CIA's best. But that was then, she was no longer that person. But why was Chuck telling her this? Why now?

Sarah in the past might have underrated Chuck and his abilities. No longer because this past year had taught her that Chuck was brilliant. He had managed to elude a manhunt that only a few of the very best agents would have been able to duplicate. Chuck had held this information back for a reason. Then it came to her. Chuck was testing her to see if she would betray him. Her first emotion was a rising anger. How dare he do that to her! She was about to give him a tongue lashing. It was only years of self discipline that allowed her to rein in her anger.

She slowly stood up and started pacing in front of Chuck. Finally she was able to see it from his perspective. The anger left her. Chuck and 'being betrayed' were old friends. Chuck wasn't going to really commit to her unless he absolutely trusted her. Sarah took a big breath, then another. She walked back to the bench and sat beside Chuck.

Sarah looked over at Chuck and she could see him poised on the edge of the bench waiting for some kind of reaction. Sarah very slowly said, "Chuck, you must never….and I mean ever, share that information with anyone ….ever again. This will be the last time we….. ever talk about it...we will never talk about it again. You, your family…..our very future as a couple…. will be destroyed in an instant, if the NSA or CIA ever find out.

"Also, if we do decide to talk to Beckman, she will want you, as part of the arrangement, to remove the sentinels. You must continue to tell them that you can't tamper with them. Tell them they are no longer under your control. The sentinels are our insurance policy; they are our only chance to have a future together."

Chuck gave Sarah this amazing smile and a huge hug. He bent down, kissed her and put his hand on the side of her cheek. Sarah shifted her head and slightly changed the angle of her neck and, with her right hand behind his neck, pulled him into the kiss. Chuck was getting lost in the kiss and didn't want to stop. Time, for a while, didn't exist for either of them. But then they heard the yip, yip yip of some coyotes off in the distance and they reluctantly parted, sitting back on the bench.

Chuck cleared his throat and shifted his body slightly to look at Sarah. "Sarah, I think I owe you an apology. Yesterday, I told you the cover story I used with Roy and Bandt and anybody in the county who would asked. That before Charles Conner left Sacramento, to go cycling across the United States… he and Sarah broke off their engagement.

Sarah was looking intently at Chuck, trying to figure out where exactly he was headed. He didn't need to apologize to her about making up a really good cover story. Yes, it was true that yesterday morning she had been really pissed at him for portraying her as a bitch. Since then, so much had happened between them, in just a short amount of time. She was still trying to figure out where they stood.

She had bared her soul to Chuck and he had embraced her, he had accepted Sarah Walker and Agent Walker. She was about to interrupt him and tell him that he had no reason to apologize, but she was caught totally by surprise when Chuck moved the blanket off his knee and stood up, turning towards her. Sarah grew very still and the tiny hairs on the back of her neck were standing up and she felt her stomach give a flip.

Chuck went down on one knee and all of a sudden in his right hand was a ring. Sarah felt her throat and her jaw tighten; a huge lump was in her throat.

"Sarah, this is not for any cover. Please believe me that what I'm about to say is as real as it will ever get between us. Sarah Walker will…" All of a sudden Sarah leaned forward and her right hand firmly grasped Chuck's right wrist. Chuck was taken aback and was terrified that Sarah was going to cut him off at the knees, ending his proposal before it even began. He felt bile rising in his throat and he felt a wave of nausea. God, he was such a romantic idiot! What, a fool he was, when would he ever learn. He had gotten it wrong, once again. He had moved too fast. Sarah wasn't ready for this kind of commitment.

Sarah put her lips close to Chuck's right ear. "Chuck…if…if you're sure you want to do this…then I want you to….something I …want you to know. My real name is….. Samantha Liza McCallum…so …so….just so you know. But Chuck, if …you're sure… ask me as Sarah Walker….please." Sarah released his wrist….. then slowly sat back on the bench and waited. Chuck's face beamed at her. He knew the precious gift Sarah had just given him.

Chuck swallowed and took a couple of breaths. "As I was saying ….Sarah Liza Walker, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Chuck, looked up at Sarah and waited.

Sarah tried to say yes to his proposal… but for some reason her voice wasn't working. It took a several seconds for the lump to clear out of her throat…but finally she answered, "Chuck Irving Bartowski, yes….I mean ….of course…." Chuck slipped the ring onto her finger. Sarah lunged off the bench to hug him, causing him to lose his balance and they both ended up in a heap on the grass.

He started to laugh and she joined in. A lot of the laughter was about relief. Chuck was ecstatic she had accepted his proposal. They brushed themselves and each other off, got back onto the bench and arranged the blankets to keep the chill in the air at bay.

Sarah's head was nestled on Chuck's chest. "So Chuck, tell me where on Earth did you get an engagement ring?"

 _A/N-_ _Up next, the flight, meetings in Sacramento, and a conference call with the little red haired General._


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

 _A/N – I know this has taken a long time getting around to this last chapter. I'm a slow writer. A minor problem is this last chapter is 11,000 words. That is too much to digest, so I'm splitting the chapter and will post the second part (let's call it chapter 12) in two or three days. Scout's honor. A large thank you to michaelfmx for beta reading and offering great advice on twists and turns in the story. Do not own Chuck._

October 15, 2009 ; 1pm- Mitchell's Farm, Near Worthington, MN

Sarah sat on the corner of the bed and watched Chuck finish packing his panniers. He took a last look around his room. The last item he put in the pannier was his little framed photo of the two of them. Later, Sarah would share with him that she had an exact copy of that photograph hidden in her go bag. She never went anywhere without that photo, even when, supposedly, she was hunting him down to kill him. God, all that now seemed like a bad dream, a nightmare, really, that she had finally woken up from.

Sarah felt Chuck's sadness over having to leave Roy and Bandt's farm. She shared his sadness. This place was now special to her. In such a short period of time, so many life changing things had happened to her, to them, here in this remote spot in Minnesota.

It almost overwhelmed her to process all these new intense feelings. In days gone by, she would have shut the feelings down immediately, locked them up deep within herself and fixed her agent's mask firmly in place, bending her mind to the latest mission.

It now felt like she was on a runaway emotional rollercoaster. Great thrills and adrenaline pumping moments, but also fear about what was over the next turn. The emotional ups and downs with Chuck would continue. She suspected that for them, finding 'normal' was going to be hard work. But that was for later. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy being 'crazy' in love with him. She'd never had this opportunity. Not in her teens and certainly not in her twenties.

Once they had loaded up the car, Roy asked them all to walk over to Chuck's bench behind the barn. Chuck walked beside Roy. Bandt asked Sarah if she could hold onto her arm as they walked together over the uneven ground. That was when Bandt saw the engagement ring on Sarah's finger. She was secretly delighted but knew she had to temper her enthusiasm. Still, she could not help but feel a certain sense of pride that she had read the situation correctly.

"I see that Chuck didn't waste any time...I mean... he did propose last night, right?" Sarah nodded.

Sarah and Chuck hadn't said anything over breakfast. "Yes, second time lucky. This time Bandt, the engagement will be very different. I'm not going anywhere."

"Sarah, some women like to pick out their own ring ...so if I've intruded...if that's the case, please…" Sarah cut her off. "Bandt, I love the ring. Chuck told me your story. I think this ring is perfect for me, perfect for us. I will honor your tradition and pass this onto our son or grandson."

Sarah suddenly stopped walking. Part of her was stunned by what she had just said. Sarah was experiencing another ride on the emotional roller coaster. She thought to herself, ' _Did I just say 'our son'_? She felt the blush spread up her neck and her cheeks burned. She quickly looked at Bandt who was smiling at her, it was like that old lady could read her mind.

They were now standing in a little semi-circle around the wooden bench. Roy cleared his throat and pulled a thin bronze plaque, along with four brass screws and a Philips screwdriver, out of his overall pocket.

"Chuck, I ordered the plaque about a month ago. It came two days ago. I thought we could each take a turn at screwing this plaque onto the bench you made with your own hands." Chuck just stared at the old man who was now the grandfather he never had. In a voice choked with emotion he whispered. "Roy, thank you for all you've taught me, for all you've done for me."

There was a simple inscription engraved onto the highly burnished bronze plaque. _'_ _Charles' Bench- 2009'_. Each one of them took a turn with the screwdriver putting in one of the brass screws.

The four of them walked back to the car lost in their thoughts.

Finally, the hugs and another round of tears came to an end. Chuck and Sarah said goodbye with a solemn promise that they would move Heaven and Earth to come back next year and be with Roy and Bandt for Thanksgiving.

October 15, 2009; 3pm – On I-90 W to Sioux Falls Regional Airport

Sarah took one hand off the wheel and reached into her pocket and gave Chuck a piece of paper with the password to get into her laptop. Chuck took out a thumb drive, inserted it into the slot and waited. "So Sarah, first you want me to hack into the Fixed Base Operator's (FBO) database at the regional airport. Then I need to find out which planes haven't flown in the last two weeks, and then who owns them. Correct?"

Sarah reached over and touched his knee. "Chuck, do you know one of the main differences between rich people and the rest of the world?" Chuck shrugged his shoulders. Sarah gave him a smile. "Rich people have more expensive toys. But guess what, just like the rest of us they get bored with their toys. Eventually the toys get ignored. They get left in the toy box. Aircraft, for rich people, are expensive toys.

"A lot of the time, their toys sit around the airport being ignored. But guess what, because of insurance and FAA requirements, their airplanes are well maintained and ready to go. Chuck, find me a rich person who is bored with his expensive toy."

Fifteen minutes later Chuck held his finger up. "Got it. There is a King Air 350 that is owned by a Dr. Simon Winston. He's a facial reconstructive surgeon. The plane hasn't been used for eight weeks. According to his wife's Facebook page, they are down in Fiji for the next two weeks. Hold on, I've checked out google. Wow….Pamela, his wife is an heiress, they are seriously wealthy. Will that do?"

Sarah gave him a light punch in the shoulder. "Excellent, so 'Piranha', do you think one of the best hackers in the United States might be able to find me the credentials for a female pilot in the FAA database…..let's see. Look for someone called…someone called… Natasha."

Chuck laughed. "Sarah, you're not honestly wanting to call yourself Natasha, are you? I mean that is incredibly corny considering you really are a spy. I mean if you call yourself Natasha it means I'll have to call myself... Boris."

Sarah laughed. "Chuck, God's honest truth, in all the time I've been a spy I've never used the alias of Natasha. It will be fun to be…Nataaasha. I do speak Russian and no… you may never call yourself Boris - ever."

Chuck spent another twenty minutes getting into and looking around the FAA database. He looked up with a smile, "Okay, there is a Ms. Natasha Piper, who flies for American Airlines, lives in Minnesota and all her licences are here and current. So what exactly do I do next?"

Sarah was really enjoying working with Chuck again. "Okay, send an email from Dr. Winston to the FBO at Sioux Falls. Say that Natasha Piper, a qualified pilot, is authorized to take the plane on a three-day test ride. She is a contracted pilot for Mr. Stephen Carmichael of Carmichael Industries. Carmichael Industries is considering buying the aircraft. Oh yes, say Dr. Winston is eager that every courtesy is extended to Ms. Piper and Mr. Carmichael.

"Next, send the FBO, Natasha's credentials and file this flight plan under her licence." Sarah handed Chuck a folded piece of paper with the flight plan from Sioux Falls to Sacramento International Airport.

Thirty minutes later, Chuck sat back in his seat, moved his shoulders to lessen the stiffness and said, "It's done. They're waiting for your arrival… Natasha." Chuck said the last bit with a cheesy Russian accent.

"Sarah, what are we going to do with the rental car?"

"We'll park it at the airport, make sure we take all of our stuff out and load it on the King Air. If we come back here, it'll be waiting for us. If we don't I'll call the rental car company, tell them I had a family emergency and they will charge Mrs. Sarah Campbell's credit card a hideous recovery and drop off fee." Sarah shrugged her shoulders as if to say, ' _That's the way it goes'_.

October 15, 2009; 4:30pm- Palisades State Park, SD - Near Sioux Falls

The park was virtually empty this time of the year. Sarah parked the car behind a copse of maple trees, where the leaves had turned fifty shades of red. She reached behind her and grabbed a small valise and took a second to look inside. Sarah pulled out an auburn wig along with brown-colored contact lenses. She stepped out of the car. She took off her jeans and blouse and put on a white pilot's shirt, black pants, and a black uniform blazer. She then pulled out captain's epaulets and fastened them to the shirt tabs.

Sarah secretly smiled to herself. She could see Chuck was fascinated with what she was doing and didn't look away from her as she changed her clothes. The Chuck of a year ago would have looked away. Being the proper gentlemen and giving her privacy. He was still the gentleman but now he was also her fiancé. Not fake. Her real fiancé. Sarah felt a warm and fuzzy feeling from sensing Chuck enjoying her body.

Sarah got back into the car, put a little lipstick on, then turned to Chuck. "So, how do I look?" Chuck's eyes widened a touch. "Wow! Sarah, I mean...wow...maybe not now of course but some night...you might consider wearing that little disguise to bed. I've never slept with a woman in uniform or in fact...someone called Natasha before."

Sarah didn't warm to his suggestion. Chuck and brunettes were not going to happen ….…even if she was the one pretending to be the brunette…she wasn't letting a brunette in their bed. Sarah gave him a look that said, _'_ _Forget it!'_

But damn it, Chuck in that moment gave her such a warm and loving smile. And after all... they were ahead of schedule, plus the car wasn't technically... a bed. That's when her resolve about brunettes weakened.

Chuck continued to smile at her. The sun was low on the horizon and the fading light lit up his face and especially his eyes, just so. Those dark chocolate eyes took on a copper hue. Sarah's resolve shattered.

Chuck noticed the intense look Sarah was giving him and then a seductive half-smile appeared on her face. Suddenly, Chuck had a hard time breathing. He had never seen this particular look in her eyes before, it was almost predatory. The timbre of Sarah's voice was lower when she edged over towards him. "Chuck I think your seat goes back. Ahhh, here's the lever, let me see if ...if...I can… adjust it for you."

October 15, 2009; 7:00pmFlying J Truck Stop – Intersection of I-29 & I-90

Sarah didn't want to arrive at Sioux Falls Airport until 9pm. Chuck suggested they stop here and have a late dinner and relax before the long flight out to Sacramento. It was a bar and restaurant combined, with a live band playing. It was obviously a popular place to eat with the locals and truckers. They queued up for 15 minutes before they finally got their own booth.

As Chuck started to sit down across from Sarah, she noticed there was still some lipstick on his jaw. She quickly licked her right thumb, leaned over the table and rubbed the lipstick off. When she sat down and looked across the table, Chuck was blushing. She looked around and realized that a number of people at other tables were now smiling at them.

"Sorry about that Chuck, but...well it's your fault."

"My fault? All, I said was some night...I didn't mean right away."

"So you're saying you didn't enjoy..."

"No, no...it was incredible...it just...you know...it caught me by surprise. Good surprise...great surprise...you know the kind of surprise that's better than Christmas. Well nothing is better than Christmas really...Thanksgiving is also big..."

The waitress came just in time to stop what was shaping up to be an epic Chuck verbal ramble.

Once their order came, all conversation ceased. They tucked into their food. Sarah's appetite, which had been lacking for the last year, had returned in full force.

The band was pretty decent, so they lingered over their coffee. They started to play a slow dance number, Lady in Red by Chris de Burgh. Sarah got up and grabbed Chuck's hand. "Come on farm boy, dance with me. And don't tell me you can't dance. Remember I saw you tango once."

For the next several minutes, Sarah was lost in the music, snuggled close to Chuck, inhaling his scent. All of a sudden, a man was tapping Chuck on the shoulder and asking if he could cut in. Sarah was angry at the interruption and was about to deal with it in her own way, but Chuck squeezed her arm to calm her. He politely turned to the man and told him no, not tonight.

Sarah, now in agent mode, gauged the man's reaction. The man was about six feet, 190 pounds with a slight paunch. He was blonde, quite good looking, probably in his mid to late thirties. It was obvious that he really fancied himself a lady's man.

Sarah had seen this kind of guy too many times before. He was arrogant, slightly narcissistic and possessed an abiding belief that all women would eventually find his good looks irresistible. These guys were usually annoyingly persistent. As the man walked away she heard him say, "Honey, you don't know what you're missing."

Chuck started swaying to the music again and soon enough Sarah laid her head back on his shoulder. She was still pissed at the jerk because he had broken a special moment between her and Chuck.

Thirty minutes later, they got the bill and settled up. It was dark outside the restaurant. As they walked along a single path to the carpark, the man who had tried to cut in came around the back of the building and planted himself in the middle of the path. Sarah sized the man up and decided she wouldn't need to reach for her gun. The man spoke.

"I was wondering if I could invite you both back in for a drink and maybe the lady here would finally give me that dance she owes me. You know around here it's rude not to let a fellow cut in if he asks. You folk aren't from around here...right?"

Chuck knew things this man didn't. He felt and saw Sarah switch into agent mode. From the corner of his eye he saw Sarah shift her weight and adjust her feet, the right foot shifted slightly backwards. Sarah's voice was now icy.

"Mister, you need to move out of our way, now. Last warning." Hearing the change in Sarah's tone, Chuck took two steps back because he knew what was coming. He hadn't seen Agent Walker, the kickass ninja in more than a year.

When Chuck moved back, the man caught his movement and started to chuckle. "What's the matter junior, you planning on hiding behind the lady's skirt?"

Sarah's hips shifted and her right hand was a blur. In Aikido it's called an atemi. In Kung Fu a sword strike. No matter. Her target was a nerve cluster on the man's right side two inches from his armpit. The nerve cluster was a junction that went to the right lung and upper right arm.

A second later the man's face was contorted in pain and he was wheezing. His right arm was now partially immobilized and he was on one knee trying to recover. Sarah walked up to the man and stood over him, glaring down at him. He flinched but couldn't really move out of the way.

Sarah, in a soft voice said, "Put some ice on that spot for the next five hours. You'll live." Her voice hardened. "Anything else you would like to say to me or my boyfriend?" The man shook his head, still in obvious pain.

They walked silently to the car. Sarah hated that Chuck had to see her do that. It had ruined their moment together. What was Chuck thinking?

They had been driving for five minutes on the two lane road when Chuck finally cleared his throat and spoke. "Did you notice the guy was married? He had a ring." Sarah nodded yes. Sarah was still tightly wound, still wondering what Chuck was thinking?

Chuck continued, "I was wondering about the conversation this guy is going to have with his wife...you know...later tonight. Something like, he comes into the house...his wife says, _'_ _How are you honey? Nice evening with the boys down at the bar?'_...his response... something like... ' _Well darling, same as always, I was being my usual obnoxious self. You know God's gift to women._ _But then I tried to cut in and ask this blonde kickass ninja to dance._

 _"_ _By the way darling...do we have any ice in the freezer? Oh_ , _and can you help me unbutton my shirt? My right arm isn't working too well."_

Sarah looked over at Chuck and gawped. Chuck started to chuckle, which quickly degenerated to a full out laugh. Sarah was so relieved that Chuck was still comfortable with her agent side and hadn't reacted negatively. Sarah soon joined in the laughter. At one point she was laughing so hard she had to pull the car over because her stomach started to hurt and the tears were blurring her vision.

Sioux Falls Regional Airport, SD

Sarah parked the car at Sioux Falls regional airport. As she was closing the car door she went through her mental checklist. Agent Walker was now on deck. "Chuck, you sent the email from Dr. Winston and the FBO has acknowledged that he is expecting me?" Chuck nodded yes twice.

Ten minutes later Sarah came back outside smiling. The King Air 350 was on the ramp and fully fueled, they had been waiting for her arrival.

Sarah had a print out of the weather on route and copy of her flight plan. FBOs, could be so very helpful to beautiful female pilots. After reviewing the weather with the FBO and his young assistant, Sarah drove the car over to the aircraft and transferred the baggage and the bikes from the car to the plane.

Chucked settled into one of the passenger seats as Sarah closed the back door, she then made her way to the cockpit. Chuck sat in the back of the plane, because he was supposed to be Mr. Stephen Carmichael, a captain of industry.

Sarah sat in the left seat and started to set-up the radio and navigation instruments for the flight. Dr. Winston had spared no expense on the cockpit instruments. Sarah was looking at $500,000 worth of avionics. The King Air had a Collins EFIS set-up with digital radios and FMC. It also came with the top of the line autopilot which would reduce her work load on the trip.

Once the cockpit had been set-up she called clearance on 121.3 and activated her flight plan.

Ten minutes later she was in the air talking to the center as Chuck gingerly made his way to the cockpit.

Sarah loved to fly. Of all the things that the CIA had taught her to do, flying was number one on her list. She gave Chuck a huge smile and pointed towards the co-pilot's seat. She then motioned for him to put on the headphones and adjust the mic so he could talk with her. "Buckle up Chuck, I hope you're ready for your second flying lesson. This one will be a lot less scary than the helicopter, I promise you."

They talked for the next hour about what might happen when they met with Carina, Casey, Ellie and Devon. Chuck was loving being in the cockpit and watching Sarah fly. Rarely had he seen Sarah with such a look of unmasked happiness.

Sarah gave Chuck a chance to fly the King Air. Nothing too challenging, keep it straight and level. For the next fifteen minutes Chuck flew the aircraft with Sarah's help. He did okay, for the it being his first time. Finally, Sarah took back the controls and then switched on the auto pilot. Chuck drifted off to sleep while he was looking out the side window.

Once she had completed her in flight checks, Sarah sat back and reflected on what life held in store for her and Chuck. Life was going to be risky and complicated, no matter which option they chose.

Part of her, the hardnosed, unemotional agent, and the conman's daughter, knew what she and Chuck were planning to do was not the smart play. No, the smart play was to tell Beckman that Chuck and his dad had been bluffing. There weren't thousands of sentinels hidden in the intelligence agency's databases. The smart play was to turn Chuck and his dad over to the NSA and wait for the promotions and commendations that would surely come her way. She would be the youngest deputy director or station chief in the CIA's history.

Somewhere far off in the back of her mind she could hear her dad's voice. ' _Sarah, never get emotionally involved with the mark. Didn't I teach you to look out for number one, first, second and always? What you're planning to do is madness. Haven't you learned anything from me!'_

But the conman's daughter wasn't listening. Agent Sarah Walker was no longer leading. In fact, they were both essentially a non-factor anymore. Sarah Walker didn't care about the smart play or the smart money or the career angles. Not when it came to Chuck.

Sarah's thumb on her left hand kept rubbing the engagement ring on her ring finger. It felt new, even strange to her. She had worn engagement rings before, especially as Mrs. Anderson with Bryce. So it wasn't the ring per say that was new. But in the past every engagement ring she wore was always part of a cover.

Sarah looked over at Chuck and back down at the ring. Before, she never understood the symbolism or why women got so emotional about a silly ring. Now she did. The old Sarah would have put Chuck's engagement proposal off. Told him how sweet his proposal was but it wasn't the right time.

But she had done none of that. The truth was she was thrilled with his proposal and it matched perfectly one of her most secret wishes. She had buried that particular wish or dream very, very deep inside her. Agent Sarah Walker thought the dream was nonsense. Her dad would have sneered at it. But Chuck somehow knew she wanted to share her life with someone. He had dared to ask her.

Sarah Walker smiled to herself. She was engaged to a man who two years ago she would have passed by in the street, without a second glance, and probably simply thought, 'Geek!'

She knew the odds were no better than even on both of them being alive in five years. But that was okay, she would take whatever time she could get with him. Why? Simple. Because Chuck was her road back to 'normal'. He was her little portion of happiness and contentment, and a word she never thought she would ever use…joy.

One Hundred Miles from Sacramento International Airport

Her instruments showed Sarah was 100 miles from Sacramento International. The sky was crystal clear and the stars were ablaze outside her cockpit window. Sarah reached over with her right hand and gently shook Chuck's shoulder. He was awake almost instantly and looked at her. "Sorrry, I must have drifted off. Where are we?" Sarah gave his hand a squeeze. "Were almost there Chuck."

Sarah requested to descend from Air Traffic Control (ATC). Once she got to 10,000ft, she called ATC and canceled her IFR flight plan; said good night to ATC and continued to descend to 3,500ft. At this altitude, with the hills in the area, the radar coverage would be spotty at best. She turned off the plane's transponder.

Sarah turned the King Air west towards a small uncontrolled airport. This would make it difficult to track her flight. When she was 7 miles from the small airport, she switched her radio to 122.8 and clicked the transmit key three times. The lights from the small, 4,000ft runway suddenly switched on and she manoeuvred the aircraft for a landing.

The runway was too small for most commercial planes but the King Air would have no problem. Sarah touched down smoothly putting the propellers into reverse and slowing the aircraft quickly.

It was 1am; there wasn't a soul to be seen. Sarah taxied the airplane to an empty spot on the apron and shut down the aircraft. She would leave a note under the door of the little FBO's office, saying she would be back in a week. The FBO wouldn't bat an eyelid, after all there was a $7 million dollar airplane sitting at his airport.

Placerville Airport, 45 miles due East of Sacramento

It was 1:30am. Sarah and Chuck were standing fifty feet away from the King Air. It was pitch black and there was a chill in the air. They were hidden in the shadows waiting. Finally, in the distance, they could see headlights from a rapidly approaching car. Sarah reached around to her back and put her right on her gun. All of a sudden the driver of the SUV stopped 100 feet from the hangar and the driver turned off the headlights. It was pitch black.

Sarah put her mouth close to Chuck's ear. "Chuck, don't move. I'm expecting Carina will appear behind us any moment now."

Sarah felt, rather than heard, Carina's cat like approach behind them. Sarah waited and finally said, "Good morning Carina. Are Devon and Ellie in the SUV?"

They heard the soft click as Carina engaged the safety on her weapon. "Hey Blondie, you're right on time. Good morning Chuckles, have you missed me?"

Chuck laughed, happy to release the tension that had built up inside him. "Good morning Carina...thanks for helping us."

Carina gave Sarah a hug and Chuck a quick kiss on the cheek. "Chuck, Ellie and Devon are in the SUV, go on over and get reacquainted. Here's a little pen flashlight."

As Chuck quickly moved towards the SUV, Carina turned to Sarah. "So, you played me that whole time last year. I have to admit you had me fooled. But it was all bullshit, wasn't it?" Carina's tone was just a notch below angry.

Sarah put her left hand on Carina's shoulder. "Carina, when you came to my room in early December I almost told you everything. Then, when you told me that you believed Chuck wasn't a traitor and you didn't want innocent blood on your hands, I wanted...I wanted to hug you." Sarah put her other hand on Carina's right shoulder. "Chuck told me about your meeting in Las Cruces. I owe you a debt...a debt I can never repay. You didn't report him. Why?"

Carina was serious now. "Sarah, I almost shot him by reflex. I mean, I couldn't have missed him by much. Later, after the drug had worn off it...it bothered me. None of it made sense. Chuck was helping the NSA, the CIA and the DEA. We were making significant inroads. To all of a sudden want him terminated? It made no fucking sense to me."

Carina and Sarah started slowly walking side by side to the SUV. "Sarah, you do know that while I was wasting time in Las Cruces, letting Chuck get away, I figured out he was on a bike?"

Sarah stopped walking. "How? It took me another five months to figure it out and Ellie had to give me a clue. How'd you figure it out?"

Carina smiled in the dark. "I was furious that Chuck had gotten the drop on me. So I spent a whole day walking the perimeter of the motel. Trying to figure out how he did it. I checked the bushes where he was hiding with his handy little tranq pistol. In the soft earth in the bushes he left footprints.

I used a DEA analyst I trust implicitly." Carina touched Sarah's arm. "Michael, the analyst has helped me over the years and well...I've allowed him certain shall we say extra privileges from time to time." Sarah gave a little nod and a chuckle.

"Anyway, Michael told me the prints matched a brand of cycling shoe made by S-works. Suddenly, it made sense to me. It was like striking a match in a totally dark room. I got it. Chuckles had been several steps ahead of us. We'd never find him in a car, bus, train or plane. And guess what? The NSA, CIA, all of us would never look for a runaway asset on a bicycle. Simple and brilliant."

Sarah grabbed both of Carina's shoulders. "Carina, you could've found him. You could've caught him. You took such a huge risk! Your career...your life, you, you..." The import of it hit Sarah all at once.

She had tears in her eyes and gave Carina a crushing hug.

Finally, Sarah let go. Carina cleared her throat and wiped her eyes. "Thanks but listen, I did this as much for me as for you or ...or...even for him. I'm fucked up enough from the stuff I've done. Sarah, somewhere, sometime you have to have a line you won't cross. Doesn't matter who is ordering you or asking you to cross that line...because if you cross it… then, then -I mean what are you really...?"

Across the tarmac Chuck, Ellie and Devon were sharing their own emotional reunion. At the moment not much was being said, instead there was a three way hug with Ellie caught in the middle. At last Ellie said, "Okay, you two giants are starting to crush me. I have to catch a breath. My God Chuck, I ...I was so worried. Then I got your phone call. I've been on pins and needles ever since." Devon laughed. "Chuckster, I swear she hasn't sat down for two minutes since you called. She's been like a caged tiger, pacing back and forth."

Chuck embraced Ellie. "There were times I almost gave up hope of ever seeing you again, Ellie. It was Sarah's idea. She made this all possible. I'll tell you the details later. Sarah told me about her meeting with you and, as you can see, she solved the puzzle with the clues you gave her."

Ellie nibbled her thumbnail. "Chuck, I took such a risk with her. I went with my gut that, well that ...she really loved you. Ever since that meeting, I've been second guessing myself. Not knowing whether I had signed your death warrant or what." Chuck laughed. "No, Ellie...your gut was right on the money. Sarah found me four days ago not too far from where Granny Mellie used to live.

Once they had loaded everything but the bikes from the plane to the SUV, Sarah and Carina hustled them all back into the SUV. Carina was driving and headed for a cabin that Casey had picked out. It was well hidden in the Sierra Nevada mountain range about an hour and forty-five minute drive from the airport.

Sarah and Carina were talking softly to each other in the front. As they talked they scanned the road ahead. Both were tense, trying to anticipate an attack or a trap. The both just wanted to get off the road. On the road they were vulnerable.

Chuck, Ellie and Devon were carrying on a much more animated discussion in the back of the SUV. They were catching up on all of Chuck's news over the past year. Where had Chuck gone after he left them? How exactly had Sarah found them? Who were Roy and Bandt?

When Ellie took a breath, Devon jumped in and peppered questions at Chuck. How was the bike? Was there something he missed that Chuck needed? At one point Chuck laughed. "Devon, listen everything, I mean everything was awesome, the bike, the stuff you packed it was all brilliant. Listen, don't think me an ingrate but eating nothing but freeze dried food for a month is not something I ever want to repeat."

October 16, 2009 3:15am, Near Kirkwood, California- High in the Sierra Nevadas

They had travelled a mile along a narrow fire road five miles from Kirkwood. They came to another road that branched off to the left and stopped. Carina jumped out and with her pen flashlight flashed in Morse Code the letters U-S-M-C. A minute later Casey emerged out of the shadows in black tactical gear carrying an M-16 at port arms. He grunted and said. "So Carina did you bring the Bartowski's or did you forget. Where's Walker?"

Behind him from the shadows he heard Sarah's voice. "Right behind you Casey have you missed me partner?"

 _A/N – Alright…a good stopping point. In 3 days or less I will post the final installment. Next a reunion of sorts and the conference call with Beckman_


	12. Chapter 12

A/N – A sincere thank you to michaelfmx, who faithfully trudged through my syntax and grammar labyrinths. Somehow he sorted them out. And along the way he has been a great sounding board.

 _From Chapter 11_

 _October 16, 2009 3:15am, Near Kirkwood, California- High in the Sierra Nevadas_

 _They had travelled a mile along a narrow fire road five miles from Kirkwood. They came to another road that branched off to the left and stopped. Carina jumped out and with her pen flashlight flashed in Morse Code the letters U-S-M-C. A minute later Casey emerged out of the shadows in black tactical gear carrying an M-16_ _at port arms. He grunted and said. "So Carina did you bring the Bartowski's or did you forget. Where's Walker?"_

 _Behind him from the shadows he heard Sarah's voice. "Right behind you Casey have you missed me partner?"_

Chapter 12

Carina laughed. "Nice to see you're awake Casey. Were you getting lonely?" Casey shook his head. Carina and Sarah together, God help him.

Carina nodded towards the cabin. "Listen I want to get the SUV hidden. Where do I go?"

Casey turned around facing towards the cabin. "I'll walk ahead of the SUV, follow me slowly. I've deactivated the mines and claymores but you never know, some of this is old ordinance that I hid up here years ago. It needs to be handled with kid gloves, or it will go off. "

Later, in the morning light, all of them would see how well chosen this location was. Casey, eleven years ago, had made a secret list of 12 places he could disappear to. This was number 3 on his list. He had actually purchased the cabin and surrounding land under an alias.

Casey was always a loyal soldier, but he wasn't naive to the ebbs and flows of the bosses' loyalty to their agents. The bosses, and fate, could be fickle. Casey's motto was _'always have your go bag ready and have a place to run to.'_

The cabin was over seventy years old and made from cut pine logs. It was hidden beneath a canopy of dense ponderosa pines. The only visible work Casey had done on the cabin was to put a new steel roof on it. The cabin had no electricity. But he had brought in a small Honda generator. The water came from a spring 100 yards due east. Behind the cabin and to either side was a U-shaped cliff and a tiny outhouse.

You could only approach the cabin from the front. Inside there was one huge room with a sink and a plywood counter at one end. There was a stone fireplace at the other end of the cabin. Casey had set up six camp cots for them to sleep on. Along one side of the cabin were two card tables with six folding garden chairs that had been set up for their meeting tomorrow.

Casey directed Carina to put the SUV beside his Range Rover hidden under several trees. He then covered it with a camouflage net, making it virtually invisible from the air or from satellites.

On the journey up, Chuck and Sarah told Ellie and Devon what John Casey had done when Beckman had ordered him to hunt Chuck down and terminate him. Ellie had worked up quite a dislike for John Casey in the intervening months since Chuck had told her about the termination order.

She was only partially mollified by what Chuck and Sarah had shared but had agreed to be civil. Sarah said, "Ellie, Casey and I both lied to you. We both deceived you. Not because we wanted to but because Chuck wanted as much as possible to continue his life with you and Devon. We all wanted to keep you both safe from Fulcrum. That safety has come at a price."

Ellie was tired and running on adrenaline. "Sarah, I've come to terms with the lying and deceit. What I'll never forgive Casey for is almost killing my brother the night the Intersect went live. So what exactly was supposed to happen when he finished killing Chuck...was I supposed to come home and find him lying there in a pool of blood. Killed by the very man I, like some addled brain idiot, baked cookies for.

"I'm not stupid, Sarah. If you and Chuck say we need Casey... then ...alright...we need Casey. I'm here; I won't sabotage your efforts. Let's leave it at that for now."

Carina had the little pen flashlight. She told Chuck, Devon and Ellie to carefully follow in her footsteps to the cabin door. It was pitch dark outside, the moon had set. The temperature was 42 degrees Fahrenheit and holding steady.

Casey stopped Sarah. "Walker, you go in and get some rest. I'll take the watch for the rest of the night since I'm well rested. The sun will be up in five hours."

"Are you sure Casey? Carina and I can each take a turn." Casey gave Sarah his, 'nah, it's okay' grunt.

In a quiet voice he said, "I'd rather be out here freezing my butt off than be inside and get that look from Ellie and Devon. I'm not looking forward to when she finally corners me about the termination order."

Sarah whispered back, "Chuck and I have told them both what you did and the risks you took in standing up to Beckman. She just needs time to come around Casey. Bartowskis are built to forgive people they care about. Let's face it, Ellie doesn't bake cookies for people she doesn't like. But she'll make you crawl over broken glass before she relents and finally forgives you.

Sarah in a whisper said, "Listen, you think your talk with Ellie is going to be tough? Wait until I tell Ellie that Chuck and I are engaged."

Casey, in a voice that was way too loud, replied, "What! Walker, deep cover agents don't get engaged to assets. I'm assuming that Beckman and the CIA don't know a damn thing about your engagement?"

Sarah chuckled. "No. We'll tell everyone tomorrow after the conference call with Beckman."

Casey grunted and then whispered, "So, when exactly did Bartowski compromise you? I suspected for a long time you were fighting your lady feelings for the moron. So did Beckman. But there was never enough proof to actually go to a 49B."

Sarah hesitated. "Casey, I put Chuck through hell for months as I fought against my feelings for him. But if I'm truthful, I wouldn't have harmed a hair on Chuck's head after the first week. It took me longer to realize, to admit, that I was actually in love with him." Sarah stopped and thought back to those early days. They seemed so long ago.

"John Casey, who are you kidding? I know you resigned because Chuck had gotten to you also. You can deny it if you want, but I know the truth. Just so you know, I don't think I have ever been prouder of anyone than I was of you in that moment when you confronted Beckman. I wanted to do this then… but didn't, but now I can." Sarah moved quickly and gave Casey a hug. Casey was rigid and stiff, he wasn't a hugger but he let her hug him and gave his soft okay grunt… then a _'_ _don't overdo it'_ grunt.

When Sarah went into the cabin, the group was bathed in the dim light from one lantern. Everyone was getting ready for bed. They were all exhausted. Each cot had a military supply sleeping bag and a tiny pillow. Pure luxury for a Marine.

Sarah sidled over to Carina and said, "Casey will take the watch until daybreak." Carina responded, "You get some sleep. I'll get up at dawn and relieve Casey. Ellie and Devon have agreed to make breakfast tomorrow."

Breakfast –Cabin in The Sierra Nevadas

Ellie and Devon had used the two camping stoves and the primitive kitchen to make a scrambled egg and pancake breakfast that disappeared in short order. Everyone, except Carina and Chuck, helped to clean up so they could start the meeting.

Chuck asked Carina if she would go outside with him for a minute. They were both now sitting on the steps in front of the cabin looking down the dirt road. Chuck gave a cough and started. "Carina, I think I owe you my life. Sarah told me about how you risked your career and maybe risked going to jail. Why didn't you try to capture me? Why did you hide the truth from Beckman and Sarah about what happened in Las Cruces? Sarah told me how you figured out I was on a bike." Chuck stared at Carina as if by staring he could figure her out.

Carina looked at Chuck and gave him a smile. "Because you're different, because Sarah is crazy about you. Because deep down I knew it was the right thing to do. I have a good memory, Chuckles. Remember how, on our first mission together, you forced me to go back and help Sarah. I was only concerned with getting away with the diamond. You were right and I was wrong. Sarah is my dearest friend, God I'm pathetic, who knows maybe she is my only friend." Chuck shook his head. "Carina, as long as I'm alive you have one more friend."

Chuck gave Carina a huge bear like hug that made her gasp. As he hugged her, she whispered in his ear. "Chuckie, I still owe you a tranq dart in the ass. I can be very patient, as you know." Chuck pushed her back to arm's length and looked her in the eye, where he saw just the hint of a twinkle. They both started to laugh and walked back into the cabin.

Everyone was seated around the two card tables looking at them. Sarah stared the hardest. She was dying to know what they'd been talking about. Chuck sat beside Sarah and Carina sat beside Casey.

Chuck quickly looked around the table. He took a breath. "Thanks for taking such a huge risk to meet with Sarah and me. There are two people not here with us, who should be, my dad and Morgan. But apart from them, you are the people I care most about in the world." As he said this he looked over at Casey and Carina. Chuck gave them the smallest nod of his head, to let them know that he wanted them here at this meeting.

"Sarah and I have a decision to make. We are here to talk with you about that decision." Chuck then turned to Sarah for her to take over. Sarah cleared her throat. She had conducted many important briefings, as an agent. This one was the most important one she had ever given. "I'm going to go over what has happened from the time Chuck went on the run until I found him four days ago."

Sarah spent the next hour telling the group about the last twelve months. There were many interruptions, there were some heated exchanges between Ellie and Casey. Ellie also gave Casey a small nod of her head when Sarah talked about Casey resigning rather than going after Chuck.

Chuck then told them about his last twelve months. Casey noticed that this was not the old Chuck. He was different. For sure he was different physically. Casey had noticed that first thing this morning when Chuck was putting on his shirt. There was almost no privacy in the one room cabin, everybody saw each other getting dressed this morning.

But it was more than the physical side of things. Chuck was more confident, more assured. He had a different air about him. Casey and Carina were on the edge of their seats when Chuck told all of them about the confrontation between Chuck, Orion and Beckman back in March.

Casey was royally pissed at Chuck and Orion for interfering with the USS Winston Churchill. He stood up and pointed his finger and said just that. Chuck stood up and told Casey it was Beckman's fault for giving the termination order in the first place.

It was left to Sarah and Carina to finally calm both of them down. Casey sat down but with his arms crossed for the next ten minutes. Finally Chuck finished his part of the story and the questions finally ceased.

It was Casey who spoke first. "So, what you're saying is that you and Sarah are either going on the run and so far off the grid that we'll never find you. Or, you're going to convince Beckman to set up a Team Bartowski. And you want Carina and I to be the sharp end of the spear." Sarah and Chuck both nodded their heads.

Chuck turned to Ellie and Devon. "Guys, you've heard everything. You need to know how dangerous it is to get involved in fighting Fulcrum. You could be a target, even if you're only acting as medical support. But if we go on the run, Sarah and I may not see the two of you for years ...if ever again."

Ellie spoke next. "Chuck, Sarah, I don't think we should make that decision just yet."

Chuck looked confused. "Why not sis?"

"Because until you talk with Beckman, we're missing critical information. For example, if Beckman says no to Team Bartowski, you run. If Beckman says she doesn't want Casey or Carina on the team, you run. If Beckman says no to Devon and me. Beckman either has to read us into the Intersect or put us in a bunker. You might still run and …you …might have to take us with you. "

Devon hadn't thought of that angle. He sagged in his seat and looked stricken.

Ellie was watching him intently and could see that the thought of leaving his family and friends would be an almost unbearable loss for Devon. But in Ellie's mind there was one critical question. How long could Woodie and Honey keep protecting them?

It was Carina's turn. "Ellie's right. Chuck needs to talk with Beckman. By talking with her we see which way she's going to jump. We lose nothing by talking to her. Instead, we gain valuable intel from Beckman and then we make our final decision. I say Chuckie…. it's time to call the little red-haired General. Casey?"

Casey just sat there. After a moment, he gave one of his softer grunts and looked at everyone. "Yes, call General Beckman. I've worked with that woman long enough to know if she's hiding something or if she's bullshitting us. Chuck, can you feed the conference call to my laptop so I can observe the call without her knowing I'm here?" Chuck gave a quick nod of his head.

The Call with General Beckman

Chuck and Casey worked for the next hour setting up the Satcom. Devon and Carina tacked up a white sheet to cordon off a corner of the cabin. Chuck then started setting up the encryption software.

He now had Casey, Carina and Sarah staring over his shoulders. Spies are more curious than cats ever were. They wanted to learn from Chuck and figure out what he was doing and exactly how he was doing it. At first this made Chuck a little uneasy. But finally he shrugged his shoulders and started to explain what he was doing.

Chuck explained to them he was going to use a French and Canadian communication satellite. He would route the conference images from one satellite to the other and then to Beckman's IP address. Afterwards he would alter the satellite's transmission logs, so there would be no trace of the calls.

Chuck was never more at ease than when he was deep into Nerd speak. And he got more excited as he explained why the signal could not be tracked back to the cabin. Casey and Carina looked at Sarah with raised eyebrows, as if to say _'_ _He's good._ ' Sarah silently mouthed to them, ' _He's amazing'._

Chuck smiled at them, he had one more thing to do. He activated a WAV file. It produced a faint but audible background noise, 'chip-chip-che-way-o'. They all looked at Chuck strangely.

Chuck smiled and laughed. "Casey, if Beckman want's to track me down, will the NSA analyze all ambient background noise and sounds? And will they eventually identify those sounds?"

Casey started to smile, then Carina and Sarah caught on. Ellie and Devon were in the dark. Devon said, "Okayyy… let us in on the joke. Chuck what exactly are you up to?"

Sarah spoke up. "Chuck what kind of bird makes that sound."

"A Kirtland's warbler."

Sarah was shaking her head. "Chuck, why don't you tell us all where you can find a Kirtland's Warbler?"

Chuck started to laugh. "Depends. Michigan in the summer and the Bahamas in the winter." Ellie and Devon smiled, it was more of Chuck's misdirection.

Finally, Chuck sat back in his chair, stretched his arms up high and moved his head around to get rid of a kink in his neck. "Okay Sarah. Are you ready to call Beckman to ask her for a secure IP address? Casey, Carina, Ellie and Devon…last chance to say no to all this." Everyone looked around the room at each other …waiting for someone to say, _'_ _This is crazy'_. Silence. Casey grunted and nodded his head. Chuck knew that grunt, it meant, _'_ _Get on with it moron!'_

Everyone except Chuck and Sarah moved behind the white sheet. They would be able to see the conference on Casey's laptop. Casey and Carina had line of sight to Sarah who stood slightly behind Chuck during the call. This was so they could signal any concerns about the call or insights into what Beckman was saying or more importantly …what she wasn't saying.

Sarah fired up her satellite phone. Chuck had added some security and created a false GPS signal. Sarah dialed the number.

There were a number of clicks and then, "Beckman, secure"

"Agent Walker, secure. General Beckman, can you give me a secure IP address so we can conference securely? I've located Mr. Bartowski, he is safe and wishes to talk with you."

Beckman gave the IP address and told Sarah to call back in fifteen minutes.

It was excruciating waiting for Beckman to call back. As they waited and whispered to each other. Sarah put her lips close to Chuck's ear. Despite the situation, her proximity and the feel of her breath on his skin sent shivers up his spine. "Chuck, I'm going to put on my Agent Walker hat. I've got my gun on my left hip. Don't freak out. I want to appear as if I'm carrying out my mission to bring you safely back." Chuck nodded and she gave him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. Chuck's computer pinged and he hit the enter button.

Chuck could see Beckman was not in her office and she wasn't in uniform. Then it hit him, of course it was Sunday, she was at home.

"Mr. Bartowski and Agent Walker. I assume, Mr. Bartowski, that you have used some devious method to make this call difficult to trace." It was rhetorical, no one answered.

Sarah cleared her throat. "Ma'am, Mr. Bartowski is safe and in good health. He has not had any encounters with Fulcrum agents or any other intelligence agency, during his…er …absence. I thought it prudent to acquiesce to his request to talk with you as soon as possible."

Beckman simply nodded her head. "Mr. Bartowski?"

Chuck started off in a neutral tone. "General, Agent Walker has informed me that there is no termination order in effect, the Beckman Doctrine is in place and that you want me to come back and work for the NSA? Is that still the case?"

Diane Beckman was looking intently at Chuck and Agent Walker. She was looking for clues or tells… anything to assist her in gaining an advantage in this call. Part of her wanted to immediately order Agent Walker to secure the asset and await an extraction team. Agent Walker was standing behind Chuck and Beckman could see she was armed. No, she wasn't going to do that. Never order an agent to carry out a task, if you're not sure they'll actually do it.

"That is all correct. Will you come back and work for the NSA?"

Chuck waited three heart beats and answered. "No. But I will help you. I will help you in find and crush Fulcrum."

Beckman beat back an initial angry response. Very few people told her no anymore. She was a second away from ordering Agent Walker to secure him. But she had much bigger problems. The unspoken truth was she couldn't bring Chuck anywhere near the NSA or CIA, it wouldn't be safe.

Diane Beckman and the Director of the CIA were desperate to find two Fulcrum moles buried deep in their respective agencies, possibly at the highest levels. Until Beckman knew who the moles were, bringing Chuck back in would be tantamount to handing him over to Fulcrum.

Sarah didn't blink when Chuck said no to Beckman. Training. But later, she would give him shit for not letting her know what his strategy was. Casey caught Sarah's eye. He mouthed, _'_ _She's worried about something.'_ Sarah tapped Chuck's chair with her right foot. It was a prearranged signal that something was going on with Beckman.

Beckman gave Chuck a faint smile. "Will you assist me now Mr. Bartowski, as a sign of good faith?"

Chuck smiled back. "How can I help General?" In the next five minutes Beckman explained that she and the Director of the CIA had narrowed their hunt for the moles down to five high ranking individuals in each agency. She then asked Chuck if he would look at the photograph's she would send and see if he flashed.

Chuck touched his governor watch and said. "Send the first five photo's for the NSA." The pictures filled his screen; there was no flash. Chuck just shook his head at Beckman, nada.

Even with all her training, all could see that Beckman was crestfallen. Beckman then sent the five photo's for the CIA. All of a sudden Chuck flashed on the third photo. Everyone in the cabin noticed Chuck flashing. It was over in two seconds. Chuck gave his head a shake. It had been seven months since he had last used the Intersect.

"General tell the Director of the CIA that assistant deputy Jessica Blandford needs to be carefully watched. It looks like her time in Chile brought her into contact with Fulcrum." Beckman was now openly smiling. "Thank you Mr. Bartowski. Thank you."

Chuck then had an idea. "General, do you have photographs of the three top aides for the five top NSA people you showed me earlier?"

"Why Mr. Bartowski?"

"Just a hunch General, please humor me." Beckman's fingers flew over the keyboard. It took her five minutes to organize the photos. Finally she was ready. Chuck was waiting.

His laptop filled from top to bottom with fifteen photos. It was photo number 12 that triggered the flash. "General, I think that Colonel Kirk Bremer's last two tours in Iraq might have been where Fulcrum recruited him. The Fulcrum agent, Captain Jake Camus, was identified by the NSA and terminated in 2007. Kirk Bremer is your mole General."

Beckman stood up suddenly. Months and months of arduous work by a small select group in the NSA almost missed who the mole was. She sat back down, aware of Chuck and Agent Walker staring at her. Beckman nodded at them and said, "Thank you."

Beckman was even now planning on arresting Colonel Bremer and Assistant Deputy Jessica Blandford and dealing with her infestation of moles.

Chuck felt his chair being tapped by Sarah's foot and quickly looked over at Casey. He was holding up a piece of paper on which he had scrawled. ' _She's going to arrest them, I know that look.'_

Chuck had a sudden thought and blurted out. "General, don't arrest them!"

"I beg your pardon Mr. Bartowski?!"

"General, leave them in play. Now you know who the moles are, you have several options. These are high level fulcrum agents. Correct?"

Beckman's eyes widened with surprise. Chuck Bartowski's idea was interesting. Chuck didn't see Carina signal Sarah and mouth the words, _'_ _Decoy!, Decoy!'_ Sarah took a second but then caught on. She spoke up. "Ma'am if I may suggest a course of action?"

"Go on Agent Walker, what is your suggestion?"

"Ma'am, if you were to arrest two other individuals who aren't Fulcrum agents, one in the NSA and one in the CIA. And whisk them away to safe houses. Put them incommunicado; but spread the word that they were the suspected Fulcrum agents. Let the word slip out that the agents were terminated with extreme prejudice…maybe, just maybe the real Fulcrum agents would be lulled into a false sense of security?"

Chuck jumped in. "Once they feel safe, they might lead you to the top leaders in Fulcrum, if …you're patient."

You could hear a pin drop at both ends of the conference call. Beckman leaned forward and rubbed her forehead with her left hand. She was deep in thought.

Beckman looked up, "Yes, yes. Doing as you suggest has huge risks but the possibility of getting to the Fulcrum leaders might be worth it." Sarah's face was fixed and she had her best neutral agent's mask on. Inside, however her stomach was churning like mad.

"Agent Walker. Until we have sprung the trap on these moles, I don't want the Int….sorry, I don't want Mr. Bartowski anywhere near the NSA or the CIA. I want you both to go off the grid for the next six months. Contact me once a month to check in or immediately in the case of an emergency. You have my private number."

Sarah coughed. "Ma'am, what exactly is Mr. Bartowski's status with the CIA and with you?"

Beckman realized this was a test. But she was unsure what the right answer was. Damnit, dealing with these two was never going to be easy. "Mr. Bartowski is an ass…no correction, per the President's directive; Mr. Bartowski will be considered a contractor.

Obviously, we'll sort out the details once the moles are dealt with. That means Agent Walker, you are protecting Mr. Bartowski 24/7." Sarah had one more question. "Does this mean, ma'am, that you do not wish Chuck to consider me as his handler?"

Beckman didn't let on but she now had no doubts that they were a couple. "That is correct Agent Walker."

Beckman sat back and waited. It wasn't long before she saw Chuck smile. She felt her own tension ease a little. She had guessed correctly.

But Chuck's smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared. He wasn't fully satisfied, this tiny woman, who had ordered his death twice before, could be trusted. He had a question for her.

"General, is the Intersect dangerous to its human host? Is it harming me, is it harming my brain?"

And so it all came down to this moment.

Beckman's next answer would determine everyone's destiny. Beckman was stubborn, often stiff-necked and rule bound. She knew far too many secrets that would never see the light of day. But the last year had taught her never to underestimate Chuck Bartowski.

She didn't know how he knew …but every fiber of her being was shouting... _'_ _He knows'_.

"Mr. Bartowski, the Intersect is not benign. The harm it does is related to who the human host is. You have done far, far better than anyone else. But yes, it is harming you. We're working on a 'dampening device', but it is still theoretical.

Chuck gave Beckman a ghost of a smile. "General, I have a favor to ask? While Sarah and I are off the grid, I want my sister and her fiancé protected. Obviously, the question is who can we trust while the moles are active? I think you know where I'm going with this…"

Beckman, with a thin smile, shot back at Chuck. "Why do I feel you might have a solution to that particular problem, Mr. Bartowski?"

Sarah moved forward. "General, the only people we would trust are John Casey and Carina Miller. Can you make that happen ma'am?"

Beckman nodded yes. "Is there anything else Mr. Bartowski? I have moles to catch. No? Excellent. Beckman out."

Chuck killed the connection and stood up and gave Sarah a huge hug. "God, Sarah that woman scares the shit out of me."

Casey and Devon took down the white sheet. Everyone except Casey moved towards the two card tables and sat down. Casey went to the only cupboard in the entire cabin, reached down and grabbed a bottle of Johnnie Walker –Black Label and some paper cups. He poured everyone a healthy portion. "Here's to Bartowski. Are are you sure you're great, great, grandfather wasn't a riverboat gambler? Because believe me, Chuck you just rolled the dice and won."

Chuck raised his paper cup to the group. He took a large sip too quickly and coughed. Chuck looked over at Ellie and Devon and knew they were not happy with Casey being one of their protectors.

He directed his question to Devon. "Devon, have you ever cornered a rat?" Devon shook his head no. But was pretty sure where Chuck was headed. Devon looked over at Ellie.

Chuck continued. "If I don't miss my guess, Fulcrum is going to be that cornered rat in two or three months. Beckman will get them. Fulcrum will viciously strikeout at anyone and anything in their last moments. That may include you two. Ellie, I love you so much. You need to be safe. Nothing can happen to you.

"Sarah will be protecting me. I trust Casey and Carina with my life so should you. Ellie looked over at Casey and shrugged her shoulders in a gesture of surrender. She nodded her head. "Okay Chuck, I'll make it work. Thank you Casey and Carina, Devon and I appreciate what you're going to do for us."

Casey poured another round. A sense of relief from their conference call with Beckman and the whiskey warmed the group up. The volume of conversation grew steadily as everyone talked at once about what was going to happen next. Sarah grew quiet and reached into her jacket into a little secret pocket. She pulled out the engagement ring and put it on her finger. Carina noticed what Sarah was doing first. Her eyes grew wide. Devon also caught what Sarah was doing and elbowed Ellie. Ellie gave a little gasp and stared at Chuck and then at Sarah.

Soon all the chatter at the table died down and Chuck cleared his throat. "Two nights ago I asked Sarah to marry me and …she said yes." Ellie gave a gasp and stood up. She bolted around the table to hug Chuck and Sarah. As Ellie hugged Sarah, she whispered in her ear, "You and I still have a lot of repair work to do… But you're perfect for my brother…welcome to the family. And for God's sake keep him safe."

December 15, 2009, 5KM Outside Thornbury, Ontario- On Georgian Bay- 3:30am

Sarah was slowly walking back into the bedroom with a glass of water in her hand. She stood in the doorway and saw her fiancé in a deep, exhausted sleep. She smiled because she had greatly contributed to his exhaustion.

In front of their house lay Georgian Bay. It hadn't frozen over yet. A northwest wind was driving the waves onto their dock. A half-moon was hanging in a star filled sky. Yesterday they had their first decent snowfall; almost a foot of the white stuff.

The moonlight reflected off the blanket of snow and flooded into their bedroom.

Yesterday had been both the worst and best day of their two months of living together. Chuck had come home and told her that he signed both of them up to be volunteers at the local cancer hospital two days a week.

Sarah had exploded and asked him what part of _'_ _staying off the grid did he not understand!'_

Chuck had shot back that _'_ _it sure didn't mean holding up in their house like they were Bonnie and Clyde!'_

For the next thirty minutes it was like a thunder storm had entered their living room; sound and fury signifying almost nothing. They went to separate rooms to lick their wounds. But after a while Chuck came to her with a cup of hot chocolate. He apologized for not talking with her first about the hospital volunteering.

She didn't like to apologize, but she did, sort of … and it had led to last night, the best night of her life.

Afterwards, she was resting her head on his shoulder. She felt Chuck's body relax as he drifted off to sleep. That's when the tears came to her eyes unbidden. She was glad Chuck was asleep, otherwise she would have to explain to him that she was crying because she was so damn happy.

Sometime this week they needed to get the guest bedroom and study ready for a visit from Ellie, Devon, Casey and Carina who would be staying with them over Christmas. Ellie and Devon ostensibly were attending a medical conference in Toronto. Sarah was hoping to start the repair work with Ellie.

Sarah let her nightgown fall to the floor and slipped under the covers. Chuck had been asleep for almost four hours. A half smile appeared on Sarah's face. She put her lips close to his ear and softly whispered, "..Chuck…Chuck.."

Epilogue

February 2010 – Island of Mallorca

The Mediterranean sun felt warm on Chuck's neck. The sweat had drenched his cycling jersey and his eyes were fixed 300 yards straight ahead of him. He was gulping down huge breaths, his heart was hammering in his chest. His legs and arms were burning. He was at the end of the three monastery cycle route. It was a 70 mile trip with three killer mountain roads to climb. He was just about unable to continue. At the top, San Salvador monastery awaited.

He didn't have the energy to look to his right but he knew she was there, beside him. Matching his progress as they clawed their way to the top together. Sarah never quit, she never surrendered to the pain.

Sarah was at her breaking point. They only had 100 yards to go now but her legs were starting to cramp. Chuck was a beast on a bike. It was like he didn't feel the pain. No surprise since he had cycled thousands of miles last year. But she wouldn't fall behind him, she would never leave his side.

Later on top of San Salvador

Sarah and Chuck were sitting at the restaurant table, taking in the breathtaking views from the top. They were slowly recovering from their ride. Mr. Charles Campbell and Mrs. Sarah Campbell were booked to stay two nights at the hotel. This trip had been Sarah's idea. She could see that Chuck needed a break from the winter and the latest polar vortex.

Chuck raised his glass of beer to Sarah and touched her wine glass. "I can't believe you made that climb without stopping. You are amazing, simply amazing." Sarah gave him a dazzling smile in return for his heartfelt compliment.

Chuck looked over at his fiancé. "Sarah, in two more months we will be able to finally contact my dad. See if he has figured out how to get the Intersect out of my head. If he can't I'm not sure what we should do? How do we deal with Beckman? What about your job with the CIA?"

Sarah moved her chair closer to him and reached for his hand. "Chuck, let tomorrow take care of tomorrow. Soon enough life will start pushing us around again, like corks in the ocean. But, I have everything I want." Sarah didn't often say the three words Chuck dearly loved to hear. In a funny sense that was okay with him because it made those occasions when she did say them particularly special.

The end

A/N – Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me along the way with PMs and reviews. Much appreciated.


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